Rafael Nadal got his campaign to become the first Spanish Wimbledon men's champion since 1966 off to a confident start on Tuesday with a 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7/0) win over German qualifier Andreas Beck.
The second seed, fresh from his fourth successive French Open title and first grasscourt trophy at Queen's, is also bidding to be the first Roland Garros-Wimbledon back-to-back winner since Bjorn Borg in 1980.
After flying through the first two sets with a break in each, the 22-year-old Beck at least made a match of it in the third where the Spaniard was taken to a tiebreak.
But the world number two's greater experience in the breakers told and he went to six match points against his fellow left-hander and clinched the tie when his opponent went long and wild with a forehand.
Nadal, who has lost the last two Wimbledon finals against Roger Federer, will face Latvia's Ernests Gulbis for a place in the last 32.
"He was another leftie and his second serve was difficult to read. He served to the body and that was hard for me," said Nadal.
{{/usCountry}}"He was another leftie and his second serve was difficult to read. He served to the body and that was hard for me," said Nadal.
{{/usCountry}}"But in the tiebreak I hit some good forehands.
"It was a strange match. There weren't many points from the baseline and I play mostly from the baseline."