London: Andy Murray maintained his challenge for a second Wimbledon title as the world number two crushed Taiwan’s Lu Yen-Hsun 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 in the second round on Thursday.
Murray had dismissed fellow Brit Liam Broady in ruthless fashion in his opening match and the 2013 champion was in equally dominant mood against the outclassed Lu.
He hit 31 winners and served six aces in a Centre Court masterclass lasting just over 90 minutes and will face Australian world number 67 John Millman for a place in the last 16.
As he bids to wrestle the title away from Novak Djokovic, the 29-year-old’s powerful display could be a good omen as he also defeated Lu in 2013 en route to becoming the first British man to win Wimbledon for 77 years.
“There were a lot of close games in the first set, but once I managed to hang on there I settled down,” Murray said.
“Towards the end of the second I started hitting the ball much cleaner and was more comfortable.
“There were a few rain drops and you start to see the groundsmen coming to the edge of the court. Thankfully I had a decent lead. I was quite anxious to get off.
“It’s been a good start. If you can win matches easily it does help, you get more rest and mentally the days aren’t so draining.”
Lu famously defeated Murray at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the world number 76’s best Grand Slam performance came at Wimbledon when he made the quarter-finals six year ago.
The 32-year-old was on an impressive 11-match winning streak on grass that brought him two second-tier Challenger titles in Ilkley and Surbiton.
Murray had never been knocked out before the third round in all 10 of his previous Wimbledon appearances and hadn’t lost to a player ranked as low as Lu at a major since he fell to Arnaud Clement at the 2005 US Open.
Although Murray was broken in the first game and trailed 3-1, he quickly regained the upper hand, reeling off five successive games to take the opening set.
The Scot pressed home his advantage in the second set and Lu was looking completely disoriented by the time he surged through the third in commanding style.
Meanwhile, Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori struggled into the Wimbledon third round while Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic and Spanish veteran David Ferrer exited as the All England Club played catch-up after a rain-lashed two days.
Nishikori saw off France’s world number 547 Julien Benneteau 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 on Centre Court and goes on to meet Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov.
“I started playing more aggressive and more solid,” said the 26-year-old Nishikori who has never got beyond the Wimbledon fourth round.
“It wasn’t an easy match. He started well so it was a great match for me.”
Nineteen-year-old Bencic became the highest-ranked casualty at Wimbledon when the seventh seed retired from her second round match against American qualifier Julia Boserup.
Bencic was 6-4, 1-0 down on Court Three to the world number 225 who is making her Grand Slam debut.
Bencic, who missed the clay court season with a back injury, had only completed her first round match late Wednesday and struggled Thursday with what appeared to be a wrist problem.
Boserup, 24, goes on to face Andrea Petkovic of Germany or Russia’s Elena Vesnina for a place in the last 16.
Spain’s David Ferrer, the 13th seed, lost to fellow 34-year-old — and grass court specialist — Nicolas Mahut 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.
Canadian sixth seed Milos Raonic, regarded as a dark horse for the title, brushed past Andreas Seppi 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-2.
Raonic, a semi-finalist in 2014, next faces Jack Sock of the United States.
Sock’s compatriot Sam Querrey, the 28th seed, eased past Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 for the dubious honour of facing defending champion Novak Djokovic for a place in the last 16.
