If Andy Murray does what he thinks he may do and makes the last weekend of the US Open, he may pause to reflect on a French gift received in the second round last night. To say that Michael Llodra choked away the tie-break that decided the match in favour of British No 1 is not mere hyperbole for hyperbole’s sake.

Llodra had a fifth set on his string, a forehand volley a couple of yards from the net that would have set up a third set point, and he feathered it into the net. Murray, reprieved and raging inside at the same time, completed the task on the subsequent point to secure a third-round meeting with Jürgen Melzer, of Austria, another left-hander, but one without Llodra’s suicidal tendencies.

While Murray was going about his business, Ana Ivanovic qualified for unwanted notoriety, the 20-year-old Serb becoming the first No 1 seed to depart the Open this soon since Billie Jean King was beaten in the third round in 1973.

Ivanovic, who scraped through her opening round, was beaten 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 by Julie Coin, France’s No 16, who had trailed 4-1 in the final set of the final round of qualifying to Elena Baltacha, the British No 2.

Murray knew that he should win, probably in straight sets, and Llodra’s one hope of an upset lay in continually going forward, because if he stayed at the back of the court he would be a sitting duck to a player of such pedigree. Yet the Scot cannot shake off a lingering passivity.

A 6-4, 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 victory, though, guaranteed satisfaction and Brad Gilbert, Murray’s coach at this time last year, when his player might have completely lost his rag, said that his former charge has stopped playing “possum” tennis, that he had cured himself of drop-shot-itis, eschewing negativity. In many respects, Gilbert is spot-on.

But there was something strangely lacking in intensity from Murray from the word go yesterday; even on the Grandstand Court at Flushing Meadows, a stadium that ought to bring out the gladiator in one. Murray knows all about it - he had left a trail of vomit there when he played Andrei Pavel, of Romania, in a five-setter on his professional debut at the Open in 2005 - and edged a fascinating five-set encounter on it in the third round a year later against Fernando González, of Chile.

“It was a good win,” Murray said. “He’s a tough guy to play against and he’s had his best year on tour. You know which half of the draw you’re in and who the top seeds are, but it doesn’t make me start looking into semis or quarter-finals. I’ve only made the quarters of a grand slam once, so I’m not good enough to do that.

“I served really well, didn’t get too much rhythm but I did well from the baseline and I’m happy to have come through a tough match.”

Llodra has won two hard-court titles this year, though they were both done by February, since when he has suffered with arm problems that have curtailed his programme. There was also the little matter of pride for Murray who, in company with Jamie, his brother, had performed abjectly in the Olympic Games, where they were beaten by Llodra and Arnaud Clément, the 2007 Wimbledon doubles champions.

One break of serve settled the opening set for the No 6 seed, but he seemed to be playing in neutral, not wanting to expend too much energy, hoping that he might lure and suffocate Llodra, the Scottish net to the French trident. But the Frenchman’s peppery approach began to have a defining effect. He chipped and charged, volleyed securely and took a toll of the Murray serve, which, the second delivery especially, was worryingly ineffectual. The second set went by in a terrible, 23-minute flash.

Murray had to withstand three break points in the opening game of the third set, then was given a helping hand by Llodra, who, in the twelfth game, double-faulted on the first point, missed a simple backhand on the second and was punished by the best two service returns from the Murray strings all afternoon.

Llodra broke in the first game of the fourth, but Murray responded. He broke in the seventh; Murray responded. Murray had a match point at 6-5, but Llodra came up with an unreturnable serve. Murray disliked every call that went against him. He double-faulted away a 5-3 lead in the tie-break, Llodra had two points to extend it to a fifth, but they melted away. Murray survived. Just.