Isner sends Murray crashing out, Alcaraz roars into third round

Big-hitting American John Isner sent two-time champion Andy Murray crashing out of Wimbledon 6-4 7-6(4) 6-7(3) 6-4 with booming serves and a barrage of aces in a second round clash on Wednesday.

While 37-year-old Isner strode ever closer to Ivo Karlovic's aces record of 13,728 on the ATP Tour, Murray made his earliest exit despite battling back from the brink by winning a third set tiebreak.

Cheers of 'Let's go Andy, let's go' echoed around Centre Court before the roof came out and the hope faded along with the evening light. Isner broke Murray in the third game of the first set and then held serve under heavy pressure in the next when the Scot, swooping in with backhand passes, had two chances to break straight back.

The towering American made the most of his crushing serve, firing in five aces on his way to taking the set 6-4, while Murray's delivery was more erratic but also packed a notable punch. Murray was in a deeper hole after losing the second set with number 20 seed Isner showing no let-up in his implacable first serve and dishing out another nine aces.

The home favourite then found himself serving to stay in the match at 4-5 in the third set, overcoming that hurdle only for Isner to hold serve and pile on the pressure into a second tiebreak which Murray won.

The fourth set went with serve before Isner again broke to go 3-2 up and needing only to then hold and serve out for victory. He hit his 35th ace of the match for 30-0, followed it up with number 36 for three match points and needed just one, a volley, to seal the deal.

While the match was dominated by Isner's serving prowess, he also produced some killer drop shots and returns to disarm an opponent who had never previously lost to the American in eight encounters though none were on grass.

Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz put down an impressive marker on the Wimbledon lawns as he breezed passed Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor into the third round.

The 19-year-old fifth seed needed five sets to beat Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff on Monday but turned it up a notch against Griekspoor to win 6-4 7-6(0) 6-3. Even when he was pushed into a tiebreak in the second set, Alcaraz reeled off seven straight points to seize control.

It was only the fourth match of his career on grass but already he looks capable of a deep run into the second week. Next up is Germany's 32nd seed Oscar Otte on Friday.