British fourth seed Andy Murray overpowered Slovakia's 71st-ranked Lukas Lacko 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 on Wednesday to reach the second round of the US Open.

In hot and sweltering weather, Murray hit eight aces and 27 winners in taking only one hour and 51 minutes in advancing to a second-round match with Jamaican Dustin Brown, who ousted Spain's Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-4, 7-6 (8/6), 7-5.

"It was brutal conditions," Murray said. "It was pretty hot on the court and breezy too, but I was happy to get through it in three sets."

Murray reached his first Grand Slam final at the 2008 US Open, losing to Roger Federer in the final after upsetting world number one Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals. Murray also lost to Federer in this year's Australian Open final.

The 23-year-old Scotsman won his first title of the year at Toronto, beating Nadal in the semi-finals and Federer in the final, and served notice he has the talent to win his first Grand Slam crown in the Flushing Meadows fortnight.

Last year, Murray was a personal-best second seed at the US Open but lost to Croatian Marin Cilic in the fourth round.

Murray broke Lacko in the fourth game of the first set and held through to claim the set in 38 minutes, although he dropped three set points, netting a drop shot, sending a forehand smash well long and watching a Lacko forehand volley winner before Lacko sent a forehand wide to finally give Murray the set.

Murray and Lacko exchanged breaks to begin the second set but Murray broke again in the third and seventh games to claim the set.

Lacko double-faulted away a break in the third game of the third set and Murray powered home with ease from there.