Wimbledon 2017: Andy Murray & Johanna Konta makes it four Britons in round three

Andy Murray and Johanna Konta both won on Centre Court as four British players reached the third round at Wimbledon for the first time in 20 years.

Konta won a gripping encounter against Croatia's Donna Vekic 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 10-8 in three hours and 10 minutes.

Murray, the world number one, then beat Dustin Brown of Germany 6-3 6-2 6-2.

Heather Watson saw off Latvian 18th seed Anastasija Sevastova 6-0 6-4, and Aljaz Bedene beat Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-3.

It is the first time since Tim Henman, Mark Petchey, Greg Rusedski, Andrew Richardson and Karen Cross made the third round in 1997 that at least four Britons have reached that stage.

Kyle Edmund could make it five when he takes on French 15th seed Gael Monfils on Thursday.

Watson and Konta's victories mean they have become the first two British women to appear in the same third-round draw since Jo Durie and Anne Hobbs in 1986.

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Murray's form and fitness improving

Murray, 30, won an entertaining contest against Brown, the world number 97 renowned for an unpredictable style that helped beat Rafael Nadal on Centre Court two years ago.

The German, 32, produced some magical play around the net, including unplayable drop shots and lobs, but Murray was more than his equal.

A Brown double-fault gave up the decisive break in the first set and Murray moved ahead at 3-2 in the second after a superb running backhand pass.

The sore hip that had disrupted his build-up was given a through workout as the Scot scurried all over Centre Court.

He raced through 11 of the 13 games to seal victory in one hour and 36 minutes without facing a break point, and making just five unforced errors.

Murray moves on to a testing third-round clash with Italy's 28th seed Fabio Fognini on Friday.

"My hip is OK," Murray told BBC Sport.

"I have moved well in the first couple of matches, it hasn't affected me. I have been getting good practices in and it feels good. Hopefully it stays that way.

"It's been a good start, hopefully I can keep it going."

Konta comes through Vekic test

Konta had won only one match in the Wimbledon women's draw before this year, but her rise into the world's top 10 has seen her marked out by some - including 18-time Grand Slam winner Chris Evert - as a contender for the women's title.

No British woman has won Wimbledon since Virginia Wade in 1977, nor matched Durie's run to the last eight in 1984.

Konta's improved ranking and a decent grass-court season have increased expectations, as did her ruthless first-round win against Hsieh Su-wei who knocked her out of the French Open last month.

But she found it much harder against 21-year-old Vekic, who beat the Briton in the Nottingham Open final last month, in a gripping match lasting three hours and 10 minutes.

Twelve-time Grand Slam singles champion Billie Jean King was impressed by the efforts of both Konta and Vekic

Konta saved two set points before going on to win the tie-break in an hour-long opener, then had to battle back from a break down early in the second.

Vekic had a slight wobble as she tried to serve out the set, only to hold off Konta at 30-30 and take the match into a decider.

The pair needed a third set to separate them in Nottingham last month, and this time neither could muster a break point until the 10th game of a gripping decider.

Vekic served to stay in the match at 5-4 down, holding to love, then missed the decider's first break point as Konta hung on to lead 7-6.

Konta held off another break point in the 17th game, then missed her first match point when Vekic cracked down an ace.

However, she was not denied a second time as she reached the third round for the first time in six attempts.

"I'm here with the intention of being part of the event for the full two weeks, but as you have just seen every player gives it their all, there's no easy match," Konta told BBC Sport.

"The crowd were incredible, the amount of respect they showed opponent as well. The arena is one of the best in the world."

Watson impressive in quick win

Watson has dropped outside the world's top 100 after reaching a high of 38 in January 2015.

The former British number one had only won five tour matches going into the grass-court season, but enjoyed a run to the Eastbourne semi-finals last week on her favourite surface.

After defeat by Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki in the last four, Watson said it was the best preparation she could have had going into her home Grand Slam.

And it showed as she overpowered Sevastova in an opening set where she cracked seven winners and did not make a single unforced error.

Watson wobbled slightly in the second set, losing her serve in the third game with a double fault - one of five in the set - before recovering to win five of the final six games.

"I felt very good at the beginning of match, very on it and relaxed, more than I was in my first match," Watson told BBC Sport.

"I obviously know how she plays, she is a great player and I was expecting the best.

"She started to step up in the second set but I was able to keep my cool and just stick with her.

"I feel like I'm seeing the ball very big and am moving well."

• Women's round-up from day three

Bedene becomes first British man in last 32

Bedene reached the third round of Wimbledon for the first time in his career as he recovered from an error-strewn second set to finally beat Damir Dzumhur 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-3.

In contrast to Bedene's first-round victory over Ivo Karlovic, in which neither player managed a break of serve until the end of a five-set epic, this erratic encounter featured 11 breaks.

Slovenia-born world number 58 Bedene dominated the opening set with his serve but faltered in the second, with Dzumhur - ranked 83rd in the world - also hitting a series of superb backhand winners.

However, the Bosnian's own serve fell apart afterwards, with Bedene capitalising to reach the third round of a Grand Slam for only the second time after his run at the 2016 French Open.

He will face Luxembourg's Gilles Muller on Friday after the 16th seed came through a tough five-set contest with Czech Lukas Rosol 7-5 6-7 (7-9) 4-6 6-3 9-7.

"I was playing quite solid tennis. He gave me a few easy games which helped, so I'm happy," Bedene told BBC Sport.

"I played Gilles Muller a few weeks ago - he loves grass and is a left-hander with a big serve so he's never easy to face but I'll fight and see what happens."

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