Andy Murray finished off Frenchman Julien Benneteau in just 26 minutes to book a high-profile third round clash with third seed Andy Roddick at Wimbledon.

The 19-year-old Scot showed no ill effects from the previous night's mini collapse which awarded his opponent the third set and moved their clash into an extra day.

Resuming two sets to one ahead, Murray broke his clearly uncomfortable opponent three times in succession for an ultimately easy 7-6 6-4 4-6 6-1 success.

Benneteau held his opening service game to love but from then on played terribly as Murray punished his error-strewn forehand to claim victory barely breaking sweat.

Arguably the story of the day was Martina Hingis' return to Wimbledon ending with a shock defeat in the third round.

The former world number one, who won the title here in 1997 but hadn't played in SW19 since 2001 due to a premature period of retirement, was beaten by 18th seed Ai Sugiyama, 7-5 3-6 6-4.

Hingis seemed to be on her way to victory when she cancelled out a one-set deficit and led by a double break of serve at 3-0 in the decider.

However, her own fragile serve couldn't see her over the finish line and Sugiyama won five of the last six games to clinch a famous victory.

Hingis revealed afterwards she was feeling the effects of a thigh strain and admitted the match was "very draining", but had no excuses for the defeat.

"She's a tough cookie," she said. "Of course, I wanted to go further in the tournament but I knew I would be facing a tough opponent and she played a great match.

"In the third set I had the momentum, I just couldn't finish it off."

Earlier David Nalbandian had become the highest men's seed to exit the tournament with a 6-7 (9-11) 6-7 (9-11) 2-6 defeat by Spaniard Fernando Verdasco.

The Argentinian fourth seed was dispatched in straight sets by 22-year-old Verdasco in a fiery clash on Court 13 which saw both players warned for racket abuse.

Former finalist Nalbandian paved the way for his own downfall by squandering 12 break points in first set alone and he had ample opportunity to take the second.

But Verdasco, the 28th seed, held his nerve in the tie-breaks and deserved to clinch the biggest win of his career, reaching the fourth round of a Grand Slam event for only the second time.

Top seed and defending champion Roger Federer dropped his serve for the first time in this year's tournament before sealing his place in the last 16.

Federer was made to fight all the way before seeing off the brave challenge of France's Nicolas Mahut 6-3 7-6 6-4.

The world number one served for the match at 5-3 in the third set only to be broken to 15, but hit straight back to break his 24-year-old opponent and claim his 44th straight win on grass.

Federer has yet to drop a set in the championships and in fact, since losing the first set of the final against Andy Roddick in 2004, the 24-year-old has lost just one set at the All England Club.

The player with the unenviable task of facing him next is 13th seed Tomas Berdych, who came through a tough five-set match with Germany's Tommy Haas.

Berdych lost the opening set but took the next two only for Haas, the 19th seed, to force a decider which Berdych eventually took 8-6.

Lleyton Hewitt advanced to the third round after prevailing in his one-set shoot-out with Hyung-Taik Lee.

The match resumed at two sets all after bad light brought a halt to proceedings on Thursday night.

And it was the Australian who kept his nerve to secure a 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 victory and a meeting with Olivier Rochus.

Max Mirnyi sent eighth seed James Blake packing by winning a see-saw battle.

Blake looked in control of the third-round clash when he won the third set to take a two-sets-to-one lead, but Mirnyi hit back in fine fashion, forcing the American's game to crumble.

Mirnyi, one of few genuine serve-volleyers left on the tour, went on to record a 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-1 6-0 victory which sets up a meeting with his doubles partner Jonas Bjorkman.

Radek Stepanek avoided another upset, the 14th seed coming back from two sets down to beat former French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero 11-9 in the final set.

Big servers Mario Ancic and Stanislas Wawrinka will have to return on Saturday to finish their clash after fading light halted their encounter with the score level at one set all - each player having won a tie-break.

Back in the ladies' singles, fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova crashed out to the number 27 - China's Na Li.

Everything appeared to be going according to plan for Kuznetsova when she won the first set 6-3.

But Li came back strongly to take the next two sets 6-2 6-3 and clinch a shock victory.

Belgian stars Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne both secured straight-sets wins to continue their march through the draw, while late in the day young Czech Nicole Vaidisova came through a tough test against Karolina Sprem, winning 7-5 7-5.