Roger Federer set a new record for consecutive grasscourt victories on Tuesday with a performance which suggested he will soon have another of Bjorn Borg's famous marks in his sights.

Federer wrapped up his rain-delayed match with Richard Gasquet - a Frenchman with the credentials to stretch him - 6-3 6-2 6-2 to move one clear of Borg's best with his 42nd straight win.

And on this evidence there will be little to stop him going on to claim a fourth straight Wimbledon crown - and returning next year to equal Borg's Open era record of five.

Federer barely broke sweat as he batted away the challenge of the 20-year-old Nottingham Open champion with a performance full of the kind of artistry of which Borg would have been proud.

Resuming one set ahead and 2-1 down in a second set going with serve after the opening day's hastily abridged action, Federer took just 16 minutes to move within one set of victory.

The third took little longer as Federer eased into round two and a meeting with Tim Henman.

On that clash, Federer said: "It is as tough as it gets for a second round really. I would absolutely hope that Tim was not going to be in my section of the draw.

"I know how well he can play on grass and he beat me here in 2001. Obviously it is not a nice draw. We are good friends so it is tough. But somebody is going to win and I hope it is going to be me."

On his winning streak, he added: "It's nice to keep any streak going and maybe I can make it last even longer.

"But I've had many matches in those 42 which have been incredibly close and I could have lost easily.

"I've surprised myself that I've kept it going for so long and to come through today was basically my only wish, not to break the streak. When it comes together it is obviously nice."

Henman is relishing experiencing a new Wimbledon sensation when he takes on Federer - playing a match without pressure after battling past Sweden's Robin Soderling in five sets in their delayed first-round match.

Henman was taken all the way by the Swede when the world number 37 broke Henman for a third time in the set on his way to taking it 6-1 to force what promised to be a nerve-wracking decider.

Henman held his nerve though, racing into a 3-0 lead before eventually sealing victory in three hours and 14 minutes.

Andy Murray made short work of Olympic champion Nicolas Massu to get his Wimbledon campaign up and running in some style on Centre Court on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old Scot produced a dazzling array of searing groundstrokes and delightful drop shots to bewilder his Chilean opponent and claim a 6-1 6-4 6-4 victory.

However Greg Rusedski insisted he would make no "rash decisions" about his future after crashing out to Marat Safin.

The British number one lost 6-4 6-4 6-4 to the Russian and, with his 33rd birthday approaching in September, could well have played his last match at the All England Club.

Richard Bloomfield, the British number seven, joined Henman in the second round after cruising past Argentina's Carlos Berlocq, a player 170 places higher in the rankings.

The 23-year-old from Norwich, who was playing only his fifth tour-level match, won 6-1 6-2 6-2 against the clay-courter from Buenos Aires.

Jamie Delagdo also progressed. He blew a two-set lead against German Michael Berrer but steeled himself in the decider, taking it 6-3.

Alex Bogdanovic also put up a good fight, but second seed Rafael Nadal played the big points the better and went on to record a 6-4 7-6 6-4 win.

So too did Glasgow-born teenager Jamie Baker, who took a set off world number 68 Andreas Seppi.

There was the traditional British heartache on the second day of the tournament.

Katie O'Brien led world number 68 Tathiana Garbin was just two points from victory at one stage before losing 2-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 to the Italian.

"I hate losing and the stakes were so high here," said O'Brien. "It will take me a while to get over it.

"I was pleased with my tennis but my nerve got the better of me in the end.

"Maybe it was my lack of experience. I hung around until the tie-break but I hadn't been in that position before."

Britain's leading junior Naomi Cavaday also lost, but put up brave resistance before falling 6-4 7-5 to 18th seed Ai Sugiyama.

Senior number one Anne Keothavong was no match for Karolina Sprem, Croatia's world number 69, losing 6-0 6-2.

Returning former champion Martina Hingis completed a routine victory over Olga Savchuk.

The 1997 winner, playing in SW19 for the first time in five years, recorded a 6-2 6-2 win when play resumed on Court Two.

The Ukrainian had lost the first set on Monday before rain halted proceedings and Hingis wasted little time in sealing her progress to round two.

Hingis, seeded 12, faced only one break point during the match and held serve throughout.

French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne joined Hingis in round two with an even easier victory over Meng Yuan.

The Belgian star, who won the warm-up event in Eastbourne last week, dropped only one game en route to victory.

"I played well, was very consistent and pretty aggressive, I went forwards - that is the kind of match you need in your first rounds," Henin-Hardenne said.

"I know how hard it is to go to the end of a Grand Slam - you have to build it day after day.

"You do not have to look too far - it will be a big mistake."

Despite her impressive recent form, however, Henin-Hardenne continues to play down talk of her as a champion in waiting.

She declared: "It is wide open - and that is very exciting on the tour.

"It is very hard to say this player is dominating the tour and she is favourite for this tournament.

"Last year there were four different winners in the Grand Slams, and this year already there have been two.

"Right now, it is very hard to say this is the player to beat - so that is good for everyone."

Henin-Hardenne's compatriot Kim Clijsters was another first-round winner. She saw off Edgbaston champion Vera Zvonareva 7-5 6-3.

Earlier fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova became the first winner of Wimbledon 2006.

The French Open runner-up was a 6-3 6-2 victor over Romina Oprandi, of Italy.

Eighth seed Patty Schnyder, 10th seed Nicole Vaidisova and Daniela Hantuchova (15) were among the other winners, but 17th seed Maria Kirilenko - she of the Stella McCartney dress - crashed out to Shinobu Asagoe.

Back in the men's singles, Thomas Johansson, a semi-finalist 12 months ago, was dumped out in the first round.

The big-serving Swede lost 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 6-1 to compatriot Jonas Bjorkman.

Johansson was joined through the exit door by rising French star Gael Monfils, the 21st seed, who lost in four sets to Igor Kunitsyn, plus Dominik Hrbaty (20) and Paradorn Srichaphan (29).

Andre Agassi's final Wimbledon campaign opened with a victory over Boris Pashanski.

The 36-year-old came from behind to beat the

Serbian claycourter 2-6 6-2 6-4 6-3 and keep his hopes of a fairytale in SW19 alive.

Fourth seed David Nalbandian had few problems as he breezed past Wesley Moodie, a player many had fancied to trouble the Argentine.

Nalbandian won in straight sets, losing only eight games, and afterwards predicted big things.

"I feel that every time I come here I play good tennis," he said.

"I have got to the quarters (last year) and the final (in 2002).

"And I feel that I am playing well at the moment. Having said that, I can play better than this.

"I think I can get to the final this year."

Title hopeful Mario Ancic had more of a fight. He needed treatment on his back during his first-round victory over Nicolas Almagro.

The Croatian seventh seed, who won the recent warm-up tournament in Holland, struggled to see off his Spanish opponent, eventually winning 7-6 (7/2) 7-5 7-6 (7/4).

Ancic may have managed to serve 21 aces, but he will certainly need to improve his all-round game if he to challenge the likes of Federer, his scheduled quarter-final opponent.

Tomas Berdych, a recent finalist on grass in Halle, also recorded a straight-sets win, as did former French Open champ Juan Carlos Ferrero, 10th seed Fernando Gonzalez and Radek Stepanek, seeded 14.

Eighth seed James Blake needed four to beat Kristian Pless.