Great Scot Murray Wins Over Most of Wimbledon

The first step of Andy Murray's quest to better Tim Henman's Wimbledon record - perhaps even win it one day - went according to plan last night, as the Scotsman progressed in comparative comfort into the tournament's second round. Britain's number one, seeded 12 at the championships, defeated France's Fabrice Santoro in three sets, though his 35-year-old opponent - once dubbed "the magician" by Pete Sampras because of the way he uses his racquet - forced a tie-break in the third.

A packed center court was predictably vocal in support, and even fans on Murray mound, curiously muted for much of the match, swelled behind the Scotsman as his victory, never greatly in doubt, neared.

Murray, 21, has played at the tournament only twice before, missing it last year due to injury. Now Henman has retired, he has inherited the potentially crushing mantle of British expectation, but while his raw ability has rarely been in doubt, a demeanor that occasionally smacks of the stroppy teenager has cooled the ardor he might expect from British fans. As he prepared for his match yesterday, however, there were plenty of Murray fans who considered his prickly nature an advantage.

"I really think Andy Murray is going to do much more for British tennis than Tim Henman ever did," said Rachael Adams, a PE teacher from Southampton watching him on the practice courts. "There's just a bit more passion. When Murray punches the air, you know that he's really feeling it." That slightly dangerous unpredictability, referred to by Murray admirers yesterday as his "edge", may explain the fact that the raised grassy area next to number one court was packed by early afternoon, though Union flags were again conspicuous by their comparative absence on Murray mound. "I love Wimbledon, and I support all the British players," said Ross Walker from Guildford, in a Union flag hat, shirt, shorts and cape. "Not much of a Murray fan, I have to say."

Why was that? "Me and the other Henmaniacs sum it up by saying that Andy Murray is Gordon Brown's love child. He's a dour Scotsman who comes across very badly." Not even if he wins? "There's winning, and there's winning in style." Earlier, day two at Wimbledon had begun, as so many before, with a display of true British grit - and somewhat inevitable anticlimax. The defending ladies' champion Venus Williams, first up on center court, might have expected to brush aside the world number 197, 19-year-old Naomi Cavaday from Sidcup; when Cavaday broke her serve in the opening game and forced a tie-break in the first set it was hard to know who was more surprised, Williams or the crowd. Williams won, 7-6, 6-1. Britain's top female player, Anna Keothavong, had more success, seeing off the American Vania King in three sets. She will face Williams in the next round.