Andy Murray Storms Into Wimbledon Third Round, Victoria Azarenka Through To Next Round

Defending champion Andy Murray stormed into the Wimbledon third round with a ruthless 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Dustin Brown on Wednesday. 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."

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.

--Victoria Azarenka victorious as Nishikori, Konta sweat--

New mum Victoria Azarenka continued her comeback bid for Wimbledon glory on Wednesday 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. 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.

Gilles Muller won a gruelling five-set encounter with Czech qualifier Lukas Rosol. The 16th seed from Luxembourg won the decider 9-7.

US 24th seed Sam Querrey and Britain's Aljaz Bedene also won their second round matches.

Meanwhile seventh seed Marin Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion, beat Germany's Florian Mayer 7-6, 6-4, 7-5 to adavance to the third round.

Five-time champion Venus Williams beat her Chinese opponent Qiang Wang 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. The 37-year-old veteran, devastated by the car accident incident, broke down in tears on Monday when talking about the crash.

Czech 22nd seed Barbora Strycova lost to Japan's Naomi Osaka, who awaits Williams or Wang.

Eighth seed Dominika Cibulkova and 27th seed Ana Konjuh of Croatia will face each other in round three after coming through their last 64 matches.