Britain's Andy Murray reacts after breaking Germany's Dustin Brown's serve during their men's singles second round match on the third day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, yesterday.
London: Defending champion Andy Murray stormed into the Wimbledon third round with a ruthless 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Dustin Brown yesterday.
Murray needed only 96 minutes to see off the dreadlocked German on Centre Court as he underlined his return to fitness following a nagging hip injury.
Next up for world number one Murray is a clash with colourful Italian 28th seed Fabio Fognini.
"He started very well, he was coming up with some great drop volleys and really going for the returns," the British star said.
"Once I got the break in the first set, I felt the momentum was with me. I started to see the shots he was going to play a little but quicker and that allowed me to get to some of the drop volleys and come up with some passing shots.
"The last three games I didn't serve particularly well. But the rest of the match I served well, I was getting a lot of free points there.
"He wasn't able to attack my second serve like he tries to do so that was positive.
"Against guys that play a lot of drop shots and come forward you need to move well, and I did that."
Murray said his hip had not affected him at all during his two matches so far.
"I feel good and hopefully it stays that way," he said.
Meanwhile, Marin Cilic survived a difficult start to seal a spot in the Wimbledon third round after battling to a 7-6(2) 6-4 7-5 victory over German Florian Mayer.
It looked as though the beaming sunlight was impeding the 6ft 6ins (1.98m) seventh seed as his trusted serve immediately deserted him.
Mayer, ranked 114th in the world and without a victory over a top-10 player in 12 Grand Slam matches, broke in the first game of the match, before having the opportunity to serve for the first set.
However, Cilic broke back, and found his high-powered service game at the pivotal moment, hammering three aces to help edge the first-set tiebreak.
The 2014 US Open champion, who came into Wimbledon in good form having reached the final at Queen’s Club, fired four big winners to break in the ninth game of the second set before serving out the set.
Mayer did not give up without a fight, however, as he again broke the Cilic serve to lead 5-3 in the third, only to again flounder at the crucial moment, with Cilic storming back to win five games in a row and clinch victory with a trademark ace.
The Croatian will next face American Steve Johnson or Moldovan Radu Albot.
New mum Victoria Azarenka continued her comeback bid for Wimbledon glory as Kei Nishikori and Johanna Konta ground out victories to reach the third round.
Former world number one Azarenka, playing her first Grand Slam tournament since giving birth to first child Leo in December, knocked out Russian 15th seed Elena Vesnina.
The 2012 and 2013 Australian Open champion, in her fourth match back, won 6-3, 6-3, taking her record over the Russian to 8-0 without dropping a set.
The Belarusian, 27, could become the first mother to win the Wimbledon singles since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980.
"Travelling is a little stressful for me, travelling with a baby. I want to make sure that everything is okay. But overall, it's just great. It's really fun that I'm able to go home and spend time with my son," she said.
Azarenka next faces British wildcard Heather Watson who also upset the form book. The world number 102 downed Latvian 18th seed Anastasija Sevastova in straight sets.
British sixth seed Konta reached the Wimbledon third round for the first time with a marathon 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 10-8 win over Donna Vekic which left her opponent in tears.
Konta and Watson's victories made it the first time that two British women have reached the last 32 at their home Grand Slam since Jo Durie and Anne Hobbs in 1986.
Nishikori dug deep to keep his Wimbledon hopes alive as the Japanese ninth seed ground out a 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 6-1, 7-6 (8/6) win over Ukrainian qualifier Sergiy Stakhovsky.
Despite reaching at least the quarter-finals of the other three Grand Slams, Nishikori has never been beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon.
He next faces Spanish 18th seed Roberto Bautista Agut who ousted German qualifier Peter Gojowczyk.
France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 12th seed, made short work of Italian qualifier Simone Bolelli in the sizzling heat, winning in straight sets.
