• Wimbledon, Day Four

Murray in cruise control as he motors past Nieminen

Andy Murray dives to meet a return © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Murray rejects calls for fifth-set tie-breaker
  
• News: Nadal survives Haase scare
  
• News: Williams and Wozniacki glide into round three
  
• Profile: Andy Murray
• Gallery: Wimbledon, Day Four

You can follow every ball from SW19 with our live scorecentre, featuring in-play updates and commentary.

Day Four in pictures

Andy Murray underlined his credentials as a genuine Wimbledon contender after he cruised into the third round with a 6-3 6-4 6-2 victory over Finland's Jarkko Nieminen.

On the day the Queen returned to Wimbledon for the first time in 33 years, the British No. 1 showed no sign of nerves as he maintained his impressive record of never having failed to reach the third round.

Billed as the first match on Centre Court, Murray oozed confidence from the outset as he stormed to a 3-0 lead in the first set, and the single break was all that was required for the Scot as he wrapped up the opener in 36 minutes.

Murray had the measure of his opponent's serve, but seemed susceptible to a lapse in concentration on his final shot selection; a number of shots hitting the net or flying wildly out.

After a tussle at 3-3 in the second, Nieminen saved two break points before Murray triumphed in a final epic rally, wrong-footing the Finn to grab the break. Serving for the second set, Murray slipped to 0-30 down, but held his nerve to establish a two-set lead.

With defending champion Roger Federer already having dropped three sets in his opening two matches, Murray was in no mood for an upset, and snatched an early break in the third. From there, he looked in no danger of throwing away his advantage, but far from taking his foot off the gas, he grabbed another break before serving out to love for an impressive victory.

Murray will now meet world No. 32 Gilles Simon in the third round, following the withdrawal of Illya Marchenko.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.