NEW YORK(AP) Andy Murray was cruising along in the second round at the U.S. Open when he went through a bit of a bump in the road: The 2008 runner-up lost - gasp! - a set.
Not a match. Not even two sets in a best-of-five-set match. A solitary set, the second of his match against 87th-ranked Paul Capdeville of Chile. That evened their match at a set apiece, and Murray responded by winning the third set 6-0 en route to victory Friday.
Remarkably, that was the only set any of the top 10 seeded men had lost until that point at Flushing Meadows this year. And it serves as a reminder of how dominant the best men in tennis have become. Another indication: Heading into No. 3 Rafael Nadal's match against Nicolas Kiefer on Friday night, the top 16 men in the field were a combined 31-0.
According to the International Tennis Federation, never in the 41-year Open era have the men seeded 1-16 all advanced to the third round at any Grand Slam tournament.
``There is a gap,'' said Jurgen Melzer, who lost to No. 6 Juan Martin del Potro 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-3.
That No. 1 Roger Federer would breeze into the third round without dropping a set should surprise no one. He has, don't forget, reached the semifinals at a record 21 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, not to mention the finals at 16 of the past 17 majors.
That the superiority stretches as far down as it apparently now does is noteworthy.
I can say that there are moments when you start thinking that other guy is so clearly superior to you,'' Capdeville said after his loss to Murray.But I never go out to play thinking I will lose beforehand.''
And what is it that separates the very best from the rest?
Murray, Capdeville explained, ``has a shot in store for the moments he needs them the most. That's the difference.''
The excellence at the top has been a developing story in men's tennis this season.
At the Montreal Masters hard-court tournament in August, the men ranked Nos. 1-8 filled the eight quarterfinal berths - the first time that's happened at an ATP tournament since rankings were introduced in 1973.
The next week, at the Cincinnati Masters, the top four men made the semifinals.
If upsets don't happen at events like those two - where matches are best-of-three-sets - they are even more unlikely at Grand Slam tournaments, where men play best-of-five.
``They're good, of course. That's why they are top 10,'' Melzer said.
And for those trying to pull off an upset, Melzer said, ``It is easier to play really well for two sets than it is to do it for three.''