Andy Murray demolished the challenge of Ernests Gulbis in straight sets to reach the third round of Wimbledon.

The British number one, already the last home player standing in the singles just four days into the tournament after Elena Baltacha lost earlier, produced a superb display to quell the challenge of Gulbis 6-2 7-5 6-3.

Murray was totally dominant on his own serve and he made just five unforced errors in the entire match.

He demonstrated his superior shot-making to save two break points in his first service game and then broke Gulbis in the fifth game.

The third seed broke again in the seventh game and then clinched the set 6-2 in just 25 minutes with a brilliant service game, including one exceptional drop shot from the baseline.

Gulbis regrouped with some impressive serving of his own early in the second set but could make no impression on his opponent's delivery.

It stayed with serve until the 11th game when Murray pounced at just the right moment, forging 30-40 ahead for the first break point of the entire set.

And the Scot made no mistake, drawing an error from the Gulbis backhand to clinch the break, before serving out for a two-set lead with a booming ace.

The third set was just as convincing, the vital break coming in the third game, and Murray finished off the match with another break courtesy of a ripping forehand cross-court pass on match point.

Murray, aiming to become the first British men's winner in SW19 since Fred Perry in 1936, will play 30th seed Viktor Troicki or Daniel Gimeno-Traver in the third round.

"I served really great. I didn't give him many opportunities at all," said Murray.

"I served a lot better than the first match. I had a few nerves and tension in the first match but today I was a bit more relaxed and it was good.

"I was very happy with the way I played. If I serve like that for the rest of the tournament I'll have a good chance."

Baltacha exited Wimbledon with a plea to sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe not to order cuts in funding to British tennis.

British interest in the women's singles was brought to an abrupt end when first-round heroine Baltacha let slip an early advantage to go out 7-5 6-1 to former junior Wimbledon champion Kirsten Flipkens.

Baltacha was one of just two first-round winners from Britain's 11-strong entry and, although Andy Murray continues to carry genuine hopes of lifting the men's title, Sutcliffe insisted home performances were "just not good enough'' and suggested tough action.

"If you look at the Olympics last year, look what UK Sport are doing - we put funding in and we have world-class performances,'' he said.

Baltacha, whose first-round win over world number 33 Alona Bondarenko on Tuesday was her fifth at Wimbledon, described Sutcliffe's comments as "harsh'' and dismissed claims that British tennis is in a sorry state.

"I can only speak on the women's behalf but, if you look at the bigger picture and look at how the girls have actually done through the year, I don't think that anyone's budget should get cut for that,'' she said.

"Just because the girls lost in a tight two sets or a tight three sets, you've got to look at what has actually been going on for the whole year."

Baltacha, who had beaten Flipkens in straight sets in both her previous meetings, admitted it was "two steps forward, one step back'' after failing to topple an opponent ranked 110 in the world.

Lleyton Hewitt showed signs of a dramatic return to form with a thrilling 6-3 7-5 7-5 victory over fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro.

The former champion has dropped out of world top 50 after struggling to recover from a hip injury sustained in March 2008.

But he showed few signs of weakness on Centre Court as he comprehensively outplayed the Argentine, who had been tipped by many to clinch his maiden Grand Slam title at the All England Club.

Del Potro missed six break-point opportunities in the opening set while Hewitt fired down 13 aces in the first two, leaving his opponent struggling to force his way back.

The Australian will now face the unseeded Philipp Petzschner in the third round.

Hewitt was delighted with his display.

"I executed perfectly, hit the ball great, served unbelievable for most of the match, took it to him right from the start," he said.

"It was a big win. I wanted to beat a top-five guy. These are the places you want to do it, too. I've got a lot of respect for Del Potro. He's a great player and he's only going to get better.

"He's a future grand slam champion on possibly any surface. I knew it was going to be a tough match today but I was up for it from the start.

"I just played a really smart match. The body felt great as well. So I felt like I could actually go out there and compete 100 per cent, lay it all on the line. That's what I like to do. I competed as well as I've ever competed.''

Andy Roddick moved into the third round with a 6-4 6-2 3-6 6-2 victory over Russian Igor Kunitsyn.

Roddick cruised into a two-set lead against the Russian, but a lapse in concentration allowed his opponent to fight back and win the third.

The sixth-seeded American hit 18 aces and lost serve only once on the way setting up a clash with 26th seed Jurgen Melzer, of Austria, in the next stage of the tournament.

Tenth seed Fernando Gonzalez also need four sets to win his all-South American battle with Leonardo Mayer.

The Chilean did not lose his serve but dropped the opening set on a tie-break before hitting back to win on Court One.

David Ferrer (16) was another seeded winner, while his Spanish compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero is also through. He ended Fabrice Santoro's Wimbledon career with a four-set victory.

Earlier, Tomas Berdych and Victor Hanescu all powered into the third round with convincing straight-sets victories.

The Czech Republic's Berdych, seeded 20th at the All England Club, romped to a 6-2 6-4 6-4 victory over France's Paul-Henri Mathieu and will now face Nikolay Davydenko, the 12th seed, in the last 32.

Number 32 seed Hanescu from Romania was even more emphatic as he disposed of another Frenchman, Nicolas Devilder 6-2 6-3 6-1.

Next up for Hanescu is a third-round meeting with number eight seed Gilles Simon, a four-set winner over lucky loser Thiago Alves.

Defending women's champion Venus Williams kept her bid for a sixth Wimbledon crown on course with a 6-3 6-2 success over Kateryna Bondarenko in the second round.

Williams, sporting heavy strapping on her left leg, looked right at home as she dominated the 69-minute contest.

Bondarenko, the world number 73 from Ukraine, battled hard but had no answer to the American's superior power and was broken twice in each set.

Afterwards Williams deflected questions about the knee problem.

"I felt really comfortable in the strap, and it was really nice. It was just for support,'' she said. "What happened was that I needed some support, and then I went and got the support, and then I wore it in the match.

"I'll be wearing it in doubles too so it's working out. I think all the players might start wearing it because it's so supportive.''

Pressed on why she needed the support on this occasion and not in the first round, Williams added: "I really hate tape, but I just needed it this time. I accepted that and I realise that this is Wimbledon. So since it was Wimbledon, I taped.

"The match worked all right, so it helped.''

Williams will face Carla Suarez Navarro in the third round. The Spaniard, who beat Williams at the Australian Open in January, booked her place in the last 32 with a 7-5 4-6 6-1 success against Russia's Ekaterina Makarova.

Top ranked Russian Dinara Safina drew a little closer to her maiden Grand Slam title with a convincing win over Rossana de Los Rios in the second round.

The world number one, who has never been beyond the third round at SW19, did not have to face a break point on the way to her 6-3 7-5 victory on Court Two.

Safina plays Kirsten Flipkens in the next round after the Belgian ended home interest in the women's singles with a 7-5 6-1 win over Elena Baltacha.

Svetlana Kuznetsova, who beat Safina in the recent French Open final, needed just an hour to see off Pauline Parmentier in her second-round encounter.

The fifth seed claimed a 6-1 6-3 victory and will play Sabine Lisicki in the last 32 after Lisicki beat Patricia Mayr 6-2 6-4.

Kuznetsova hit 22 winners and did not face a break point during a dominant performance.

After their matches both Russians seemed to criticise the fact they had both been forced to play on the outside courts.

Kuznetsova said: "It's fine to put me wherever they want to, they don't have to put me on Centre Court.

"But with the schedule, this is the weird thing. If you look at the schedule, it's not about only me. Dinara plays on Court Two, Venus (Williams) plays on Court One and girls who are not very high seeds play Centre.

"I respect them, they're great players for sure, but this is what's weird for me. But in Wimbledon you have to expect anything! That's why it's special for everybody. That's why I like it, because it's unpredictable.''

Safina added: "Hopefully next match I'll play on a bigger court.

"Of course, it's not fair but I'm not doing the schedule. If tournament directors or whatever, referees, thinks this way... I don't really think (about the court). I think if I win the match, I have the chance to play on a bigger court the next day.''

Ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki won the first nine games against Maria Kirilenko, who managed to avoid a dreaded 'double bagel' and eventually lost 6-0 6-4.

Ana Ivanovic also progressed in straight sets. The former world number one, seeded 13th after a spectacular fall from grace over the past 12 months, defeated Italy's Sara Errani 7-5 6-1.

Agnieszka Radwanska, the 11th seed, was extended to three sets by China's Shuai Peng.

Radwanska wasted a match point when 6-5 ahead in the second set tie-break but, well over an hour later, closed out a 6-2 6-7 (6-8) 9-7 triumph.

Samantha Stosur, the 18th seed, had to fight back from a set down to dispatch Germany's Tatjana Malek.

The Australian, a semi-finalist at the French Open, eventually prevailed 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.

Late in the day there was a straight-sets win for the former champion Amelie Mauresmo against Kristina Kucova while Jelena Jankovic wasted little time in reaching the last 32, beating Iveta Benesova 6-2 6-4 on Court Two.