Tennis: Murray, Wawrinka advance at Wimbledon

Andy Murray plays a forehand during his first round match against Liam Broady. Photo / Getty Images

Andy Murray led the way for men's seeds at the Wimbledon Championships with the second seed facing and beating a fellow Brit for the first time ever at a grand slam on Wednesday.

Murray put out good friend and practise partner Liam Broady, the world No.235, winning 6-2 6-3 6-4.

The world No.2 never lost a serve during his one-and-three-quarter-hour victory as he begins the bid for a second home grand-slam title.

"The first round is always tricky, but I felt I played pretty well," Murray said.

"It's not so easy playing someone you know.

"We were both just trying to win, you want to play a good match.

"He (Broady) got better as the match went on, fighting through to the end and playing some good stuff."

Stan Wawrinka tamed US teenager Taylor Fritz 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 6-7 (2-7) 6-4 as the fourth-seeded Swiss who owns two grand slam titles works to surpass his Wimbledon best of a quarter-final.

The 31-year-old is playing his 12th-straight Wimbledon and 46th major in a row.

He will next take on Argentine dangerman Juan Del Potro, who beat Stephane Robert 6-1 7-5 6-0 for his first Wimbledon victory since 2013 due to wrist injury problems.

A year ago Del Potro, 27, was undergoing a third operation on his left wrist with his career in doubt.

So it was heartening to watch the 1.98-metre former world No.4 in grand slam action for the first time in two-and-a-half years at the All England Club.

"My last two to three years have been too complicated and too tough," Del Potro, whose last grand slam match was at the 2014 Australian Open, said.

"Today I am enjoying other things a lot more. One of the saddest things was not having my normal life, my routine."

He played only nine matches in 2014 and four last year, so the 19 he has managed so far this year, winning 12, represent progress, although it is still early days.

"To be honest, I feel my forehands and serves are working well at the moment," he said.

"But my confidence is not there on my backhands yet, and that's tough when you play against the top guys. But my biggest challenge is to finish healthy and ready to make a good preparation for the next year."

Wrist injuries are the nightmare tennis players fear more than any other, with Rafael Nadal the latest to fall victim.

Even when physically repaired, the psychological scars can take even longer to heal, according to Del Potro.

"I'm working hard mentally because I have to deal with some pains and some frustrations when I want to hit a good backhands and I cannot do it," he said.

"This year will be more like a comeback on to tour, to feel the pressure of tennis. I hope to be ready for being an aggressive player next season.

"I just want to play free."

A seeded French pair advanced in straight sets, as number seven Richard Gasquet defeated Briton Aljaz Bedene 6-3 6-4 6-3 while 12th-seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga stopped Spaniard Inigo Cervantes 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.

German Dustin Brown, who knocked out Rafael Nadal a year ago, advanced over Serb Dusan Lajovic 4-6 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4 to set up a clash with Australia's Nick Kyrgios who beat Radek Stepanek.