Quickfire Murray guns down Malisse

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Murray took just one hour and 33 minutes to dispatch the 27-year-old Belgian 6-4 6-2 6-2 and set up a showdown with Germany's Tommy Haas.

Such was the destructive quality of Murray's big serving and punishing groundstrokes that the weight of expectation on the packed Wimbledon hill can only have increased.

One heavy serve clocked in at 136mph and some of his returns must have been not far behind as he pummelled Malisse on both wings.

The pair have been practice partners in the past and knew each other well but not even Malisse - a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2002 - could have expected to have been swept aside in such humiliating fashion.

Murray said: "I served really well, lost concentration in the second set and in the middle of the third but played well throughout.

"In the past, I've had some long ones so it's nice to get off the court in straight sets."

The British number one used his favourite drop shot to good effect and his big forehand was also in evidence as he broke the Malisse serve in the fifth game and then closed out the first set with one big ace and a savage smash.

The winning momentum increased, Murray breaking the Belgian's serve in the first game of the second set with a punishing backhand winner and then powered into a two-set lead.

When Murray broke serve once more in the opening game of the third set, the contest was effectively over, although Malisse did mount something of a revival as the Murray concentration dipped halfway through the set, but the Scot comfortably saw out the match.