Rusedski exits Centre Court (Getty Images)

There was a time when Greg Rusedski was the most fearsome server in tennis. Not any more.

On Wednesday evening, with the scoreboard lights twinkling and the clock striking 9.12pm, Rusedski departed Wimbledon at the second round stage for the third time in three years, eventually out-gunned on the Centre Court gloom by Sweden's Joachim Johansson.

The scoreboard told the tightest tale, 7-6 3-6 6-4 7-6, to the 22-year-old in the white bandana who stands 6ft 6in tall and punches every inch of his height.

But, after a fourth set tie-break fought out in near darkness and gathering hysteria which the Swede took 7-5, you had to admire the courage of the Montreal-born star who adopted the British flag 10 years ago and has committed himself to the cause with grit and determination for self and country ever since.

Defending champion Roger Federer cruised into round three at SW19 by beating Ivo Minar.

'The Fed Express' was given a real run for his money by Czech teenager Minar, before going through the gears to prevail in straight sets.

The Swiss world number one registered his 31st consecutive win on grass, but he was made to work much harder than expected.

The first two sets were keenly contested with Minar more than holding his own, but a couple of breaks at crucial moments seemed to break the youngster's resistance.

Federer quickly broke serve at the start of the third set to race into a 3-0 lead.

A double fault then gifted Federer a second break and the 23-year-old wrapped up the set 6-1 with an ace to seal a 6-4 6-4 6-1 victory.

Earlier British wild card David Sherwood was outclassed by 26th seed Feliciano Lopez.

Sherwood, part of Britain's victorious Davis Cup team in Israel earlier this year, was beaten 6-2 6-4 6-2 by the Spaniard.

The Briton had beaten Ricardo Mello, a player ranked well above him, in the first round, but this was a step up too far for the Yorkshireman to make.

After losing in just 79 minutes, Sherwood revealed that he is involved in a race with Davis Cup team-mates Andrew Murray and Alex Bogdanovic to break into the top 100.

"We had a little bet between me, Andy and Alex at the Davis Cup about who makes the top 100 first," he said.

Elsewhere Marat Safin looked in ominous form as he saw off big-serving Mark Philippoussis in straight-sets.

The Russian, who once famously insisted that "grass is for cows", played superbly against his Australian opponent, winning tie-breaks 7-4 in sets one and two.

The third was another tense affair dominated by serve, but Philippoussis looked to be visibly wilting in the intense heat.

The big Aussie was eventually broken in the seventh game, and Safin never looked back to eventually close out 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-4) 6-4.

Safin's fellow Russian Nikolay Davydenko was forced to retire while ahead against Jonas Bjorkman.

The eighth seed won a tense opening set 7-4 on a tie-break, and was leading 2-1 in the second before being forced to quit with a wrist injury.

Sebastien Grosjean finally saw off French compatriot Michael Llodra to book his place in round two.

Ninth seed Grosjean, a semi-finalist at SW19 for the past two years, came through 3-6 7-5 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 in a match held over from the previous evening.

Unseeded American Gimelstob caused a minor surprise by overcoming 29th seeded Chilean Nicolas Massu 6-3 4-6 7-6 7-6.

And Gimelstob's compatriot Taylor Dent also moved quietly through to the third round beating Kevin Kim 6-3 6-4 6-4.

Tenth seed Mario Ancic wrapped up a late four-set victory over Thai Danai Udomchoke, triumphing 7-6 3-6 6-3 6-3, while reigning Wimbledon junior champion Gael Monfils secured an impressive 6-3 6-3 2-6 7-5 win over Dominik Hrbaty.

In the women's singles, top seed Lindsay Davenport was never troubled by American compatriot Jamea Jackson.

Davenport raced to the opening set without losing a game.

The Newport Beach resident, a winner here in 1999, did not have things all her own way in the next as Jackson began to settle down, yet was still too powerful as she won 6-0 6-3 on Court Two.

Kim Clijsters wasted little time in disposing of American Marissa Irvin in their second-round clash on Court One.

The Belgian, 2003 semi-finalist at Wimbledon and four times a Grand Slam finalist, was on the court where her compatriot Justine Henin-Hardenne crashed out on Tuesday, but she always looked the boss.

Californian Irvin just could not live with her powerful opponent in thwe blistering SW19 heat. Clijsters wrapped up a victory of stunning simplicity for the loss of just two games, entering the last 32 of the competition in a match that took just 44 minutes.

Number three seed Amelie Mauresmo produced a text-book display of grasscourt tennis to dispatch Maria Sanchez Lorenzo in rapid time on Court Two.

The two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist showed just why she is going to be a major threat in this year's competition as she breezed past her Spanish opponent 6-1 6-3 in just 46 minutes.

The 25-year-old Frenchwoman, a former world number one, broke Sanchez Lorenzo in the very first game, and never looked back as she treated the crowd to a blistering display of serve-and-volley tennis.

Anastasia Myskina managed to keep her temper in check long enough to overcome Aiko Nakamura.

The Russian, seeded nine, appeared agitated throughout the clash on Court 13 against a player ranked 94 in the world.

But, despite a first-set lapse which saw her nearly throw away a 5-1 lead, she clinched a 6-4 6-3 triumph.

Next up for Myskina is a clash with 17th seed and Birmingham runner-up Jelena Jankovic, who proved too hot for Mariana Diaz-Oliva.

The improving Jankovic took a while to get going against her Argentine foe, but eventually came through 6-3 7-5.

Russian sixth seed Elena Dementieva was given a real scare by qualifier Sabine Klaschka.

Dementieva, a French and US Open finalist last year, lost the opening set 6-2 to the German qualifier and looked to be unravelling.

However despite hitting 18 double faults in the match, the Russian toughed it out to record a marathon 2-6 6-3 8-6 win.

Another Russian, number five seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, was pushed all the way by Indian qualifier Sania Mirza.

In an entertaining encounter on Centre Court, the unheralded Mirza gave reigning US Open champion Kuznetsova as good as she got before losing out.

A clearly relieved Kuznetsova eventually toughed out a 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 win.