Greg triumphs against Ferrero

Greg Rusedski powered his way into Wimbledon's fourth round this afternoon with a triumph over Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero which was as promising as it was devastating.

The British number two simply annihilated the eighth seed and world number four 6-1 6-4 6-4 in just one hour and 36 minutes with a blend of rasping ground strokes and precise serve and volley which was virtually unplayable.

It would have troubled the world's best grass-courters. Ferrero, playing only his fourth match on the surface, never had a chance.

The first set went by in a blur of service breaks, but the signs were ominous for the Spaniard with the British number two even out-duelling his baseline opponent from the back of the court on several occasions.

The only note of alarm came when Rusedski took a tumble in the sixth game but he got up, brushed himself down and went on to win the set with a service game to love in just 22 minutes.

The second set was slower, but no less effective for Rusedski, whose one concern was with the foot-fault judge who twice ruled against him.

Nothing, however, was going to ruin his concentration and the third set saw Rusedski break the Spaniard's serve in the third game.

At last Ferrero began to offer some sterner opposition with some desperate returning and he even had a break point in the eighth game, but he could not convert the opportunity.

In the ninth game Ferrero saved four match points in a service game which went to eight deuces.

But the missed opportunities failed to worry Rusedski who served out routinely to take his place in the fourth round, where he will now play Goran Ivanisevic, who beat Andy Roddick 7-6 7-5 3-6 6-3.