Former champion Andy Murray crashed out to 20-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets, ending his Grand Slam comeback at the U.S. Open, while Serena Williams battled her way through to a 6-2 6-4 victory over Russia's Margarita Gasparyan on Thursday.

Three-time Grand Slam tournament winner Andy Murray's journey ended in a 6-2 6-3 6-4 loss to the 15th-seeded Canadian in the second round.

Coming off a big comeback game in the opening round that lasted more than four and a half hours, Murray just did not seem to have the strength or stamina to script another tough round. He suffered four breaks of serve in the match and registered only nine winners.

Auger-Aliassime appeared content with his masterclass performance that saw him pound 24 aces and win 41 of 46 first serve points without facing a breakpoint in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"It's an amazing feeling," said Auger-Aliassime. "I wish the fans were here. Life is funny, because I came here in 2011 as a kid. I got tickets for a match. I watched Andy Murray and [Feliciano] Lopez play in the third round. It's crazy that nine years later I'm here playing him and getting the win. 

"In the back of your mind, you know you're facing Andy Murray. Even though you're up two sets to love, you're thinking, 'I've got to get this break. I've got to get this lead.' Because you never know what tricks he has in his pocket."

Earlier, Serena Williams battled her way through to a 6-2 6-4 victory over Russia's Margarita Gasparyan in the second round as she continued her bid for a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam title.

The 38-year-old American showed little sign of weakness, aside from a single double fault and a trio of unforced errors, as she finished off the first set in just 35 minutes.

Momentum shifted during the second set, however, as Gasparyan, 26, went on the offensive and the six-time champion committed four double faults.

The unseeded Russian drew Williams to the net and sent a forehand pass whizzing by the American, before forcing her into an error on the next point to break her serve and narrow the lead 3-2.

Williams retaliated, breaking Gasparyan's serve, but the Russian refused to back down, eventually leveling the score 4-4.

Williams, a crowd favorite who this year must play without her legions of fans cheering her on, clawed her way back, managing to close out a lengthy 16-point game to hold her serve and retake the lead 5-4, psyching herself up shouting "come on!" inside the empty stadium.

"It wasn't that frustrating," Williams said after the match.

The second-set setback "could help me know what not to do next time."

She next faces fellow American Sloane Stephens in the third round. Williams said Stephens, who won the tournament in 2017, is "a great competitor."

"I've just got to get ready for the match," said Williams. "Always going to be intense. Always going to be, you know, who I am on the court, so that's the only thing I can do."

"And the only difference is I'm playing such a good player so early, so I have to bring, you know, what I can even more."

(With input from agencies)

(Cover image: Andy Murray of Great Britain serves during his men's singles second round match against Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada at the U.S. Open in New York, September 3, 2020. /VCG)