ANDY Murray has long since learned to focus only on the things he can control but even he might just have raised an eyebrow last night when Novak Djokovic received a walkover into the third round of the US Open.

World No 2 Murray continues his title bid today against Marcel Granollers of Spain, a talented player with good net skills but someone he has beaten six times out of seven.

Djokovic received a free pass into round three when Jiri Vesely pulled out with a left forearm injury, crucially allowing his sore left wrist and troublesome right elbow that bit more time to heal.

The world No 1 and defending champion may have lost early at Wimbledon and the Olympics but he remains the title favourite and Murray knows there is a good chance that if he is to win himself, then he will have to beat his old foe in the final.

The good thing is that Murray is in outstanding form – having won Wimbledon and the Olympics – and having picked up here with a clinical drubbing of Lukas Rosol in round one.

Staying focused and fresh enough to give everything in the final Grand Slam is down to Murray and his entire team and as he revealed he and coach Ivan Lendl, as well as Jamie Delgado, did little in the week before the US Open began.

“The week before Wimbledon we spent loads more time on the court, working on more specific things,” Murray said of he and Lendl.

“This week we haven’t had the time to do as much. It was more about me resting and recovering rather than pushing myself unbelievably hard in practice.

“We hadn’t seen each other since Wimbledon before getting here. That’s why the rest of my team is extremely important and I want to emphasise that because without them, Ivan couldn’t do the job he does.”

Murray said he and Lendl, who reunited just before Wimbledon after two years apart, had not spoken about specifics in terms of their deal.

“Ivan knows how much time it takes to do the job properly,” he said. “When we spoke, I said I’d be happy to come to him for some training blocks, but I haven’t spoken to him about a length of time.

“I’m happy with Jamie when Ivan’s not there. The time when Ivan is there, I find him very helpful and I’m happy with how much he is working with me just now.

“[But] Jamie’s done a fantastic job since we started working together this year. People say it has been the best year of my career, so the team is working very well together."

In their time apart, Lendl turned his hand to coaching some of the United States’ leading juniors, something Murray said may give the eight-times Grand Slam champion new perspective.

“When you work with young players, I think you learn different skills and understand certain things a bit better,” he said.

“You can't just tell them: ‘you served terrible today’. They can take that to heart, and maybe the next day they serve terrible as well because their coach has told them that.

“With older players or professionals, it's maybe a little bit easier to be a little bit more direct.

“He's probably learnt some things working with juniors. He's a smart guy, obviously a good coach.”

Not that Old Stone Face has gone soft, though. “No,” Murray said. “Not on me anyway. And his jokes haven’t changed. Still not funny.”

Two more Brits are in second-round action today. Dan Evans plays Germany’s Sascha Zverev while Naomi Broady takes on fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.