G Rusedski GB v M Safin Rus

4-6 4-6 4-6

Third set:Rusedski 4-6 Safin
It's a tall order for Rusedski to save his skin at the death, with only one break point to his name in the entire contest, and Safin moves menacingly to 30-0 with an ace - two points later it's all over. On this evidence, Safin could be a dangerous floater who the big boys will be keen to avoid.

Rusedski 4-5 Safin
Successive double faults are definitely not what the doctor ordered for an ailing Greg, as Safin comes within two points of victory. The Briton digs deep into his reserves and captures the game after being taken to deuce.

Rusedski 3-5 Safin
Rusedski is rapidly running out of time and gambles by coming into the net. Safin has not read the script and passes him comfortably. Two good serves later and Rusedski finds himself serving to stay in the Championship.

Rusedski 3-4 Safin
Rusedski lets out a yelp as he pulls back to 30-30 with a rasping forehand and then takes it to deuce with another booming serve. But a mishit, followed by a tame return into the net, costs him dearly and Safin gets the crucial break. You suspect it's Goodnight Vienna for Greg.

Rusedski 3-3 Safin
Safin grazes the net to wrongfoot Rusedski with the game poised at 30-15. He immediately apologises - in English - but does not have the good grace to hand Rusedski the game and ruthlessly holds to 30.

Rusedski 3-2 Safin
Rusedski is refusing to give this up and, urged on by the noisy evening crowd, he holds to 15 to keep alive his hopes of joining Tim Henman in round two.

Rusedski 2-2 Safin
You just sense that Rusedski's chance may have slipped away. He has Safin at 0-30, but nets a backhand and then watches another drift wide. Safin closes the game out with his usual relentless power.

Rusedski 2-1 Safin
Anxious times for Rusedski. Safin takes him to deuce twice and seems on the point of taking control, but the Brit battles well to hang on. He's having most success when he makes a decisive move to the net - maybe it's time to go on the attack.

Rusedski 1-1 Safin
This is so tough for Rusedski. He works his socks off to engineer a break point, hitting a wonderful pass in the process, only to see Safin smash an ace down the middle and polish off the game like unstoppable tennis automaton.

Rusedski 1-0 Safin
Nervy times for the British number one. Safin eyes a break point but a Rusedski ace saves the day. Then Safin goes wide with a top-spin lob and Rusedski breathes a sigh of relief. The longest game of the match, at just over five minutes long.

Second set:

Rusedski 4-6 Safin
Oh dear. Needing a minor miracle to stay in the set, Rusedski is steam-rollered by the sheer power of Safin and loses the game to love.

Rusedski 4-5 Safin
Just when a tie-break appeared inevitable, Safin strikes. Two wonderful returns leave Rusedski scrabbling, and in the blink of an eye, the Russian has the crucial break again.

Rusedski 4-4 Safin
Guess what - Safin's howitzer serve crushes any small shoot of a Rusedski revival with grinding efficiency. Sudden outbreak of errors apart, how can Rusedski crack the Russian?

Rusedski 4-3 Safin
Wham-bam - wake up, ma'am. To be fair, this display of serving from both men is technically very impressive. It just isn't great as a spectacle - it's like watching an updated version of Atari's Pong.

Rusedski 3-3 Safin
Two Rusedskis would struggle to break the Safin serve at the moment. It's not that the British number one is playing badly - it's just that Safin is in relentless mood.

Rusedski 3-2 Safin
It's a strange old match - the serve is so dominant that the game hasn't really got going as a contest. Rusedski holds with ease, just as before. The average length of a rally in this match is less than three shots

Rusedski 2-2 Safin
Silver linings for Greg - he might have lost another Safin service game, but he does manage to get him to deuce. Trouble is, Safin then simply turns up the gas, serves an ace and sees off the danger.

Rusedski 2-1 Safin
Rusedski holds to love - the first time that's happened all match, despite the serve's dominance.

Rusedski 1-1 Safin
An unruffled Safin goes to his big serve again and brings the set level. It's turning out to be the same story as the first set - brutal serving, almost no glimmer of a break and the first man to lose concentration likely to lose the set.

Rusedski 1-0 Safin
Fierce serving from Rusedski. Safin tries a cheeky lob when the Briton comes to the net, but Rusedski chases it down, whips back a dipping backhand and Safin can only put it in the net.

First set:

Rusedski 4-6 Safin
Safin is impregnable. He takes the set with a vicious kicking serve which nearly takes Rusedski's head off.

"Very straightforward for the Russian. He came through with consumate ease."
Barry Davies, BBC commentator

Rusedski 4-5 Safin
Rusedski has only had the one blip on his serve, but it's cost him dear. He stays alive in this set with a solid service game, but will he be able to make in-roads on the Safin serve in the next?

Rusedski 3-5 Safin
Greg nabs the first point but it's a false dawn. Safin, looking utterly unbothered, winds up his serve and cleans up. It's looking ominous for Rusedski.

Rusedski 3-4 Safin
Suddenly, the Russian maverick strikes. A fine running backhand pass beats Rusedski at the net, and then a snorter of a forehand leaves Rusedski unable to control his volley. First break to Safin.

Rusedski 3-3 Safin
The serve is king here on Court no.2. Safin rattles through his game with brooding menace. Rusedski, wearing his trademark folded bandanna around his forehead, can do little.

Rusedski 3-2 Safin
Safin, now ranked 87th in the world after his knee injury woes, clatters into the umpire's chair as he chases down a Rusedski drop-shot. He shakes his left leg ruefully but there's no damage - just a game lost to serve, which is par for the course so far this evening.

Rusedski 2-2 Safin
As you were, chaps. Safin holds comfortably as Rusedski struggles to cope with his boomer of a first serve. It's a low-key affair so far but both players are on song.

Rusedski 2-1 Safin
Not quite as straightforward - a couple of fine returns from Safin to Rusedski's feet give the Brit an anxious moment, but the serve is strong and Rusedski holds on.

Rusedski 1-1 Safin
A carbon copy, but in reverse - Safin also wins to 15, also with the help of one ace.

Rusedski 1-0 Safin
Positive start from Greg - he comes to the net twice to put away crisp volleys and take his opening service game. Would you believe that this is Rusedski's 14th Wimbledon? You should do, because it's true. That's more than any other current player.

With the Wimbledon crowds barely recovered from Tim Henman's epic five-set win on Court One, the next British hope is ready to enter the fray.