JANKO TIPSAREVIC has a tattoo running down the length of his forearm. It is Dostoevsky's hope that "Beauty will save the world." The 40th-ranked player may well have successfully taken over from Novak Djokovic as Serbia's main hope in the men's draw but his upending of American hope and world number six, Andy Roddick, seemed anything but beautiful in yesterday evening's dying light on Centre Court.

The menacing looking Tipsarevic, with his crown of black hair and glasses taped to his nose, came back from behind to beat Roddick in four sets, 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6(4), taking just over three hours to do it.

Roddick, who had been beaten in the semi-finals of Queen's looked in reasonable shape to have a decent tilt at Wimbledon, although, if his big serve is not working he has begun to look increasingly vulnerable.

With Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and the emerging Andy Murray getting stronger, it is reasonable to assume the 25-year-old does not have many more years to crack the grass at SW19. Last year he made it to the quarter-finals but let a two-set lead slip against Richard Gasquet.

But Queen's was also his first tournament after a shoulder injury curtailed his clay court season. He was forced to retire in the semi-finals in Rome and missed Roland Garros.

Yesterday the dedicated baseline player hit only six winners from the back of the court, Tipsarevic delivering 29. But it was the important points the Serb won that drew success rather than any domination of the match.

Roddick hit 27 aces, one of them arriving at 142 mph and given that strength it was more surprising he lost the fourth-set tiebreak. Tipsarevic earned two break points in the second and third sets and converted both, while Roddick had eight opportunities to break serve, three of them in the fourth set, but he was unable to convert any of them.

"Pretty distraught," is how Roddick summed up his thoughts.

"Disappointed. Any chance I got I just about choked it. That's hard to deal with. It's not an easy thing to say. It was what it was. You guys saw it. You want something so much you squeeze it too tight, I guess."

For Andy Murray it seems his mother, Judy, does all the smiling for him these days. Even after an impressively controlled three-set win over the streaky but talented Xavier Malisse, Murray arrived in to his press conference with the shrug and occasionally sullen Scottish brogue to tell us of his quiet hopes of making it past the weekend.

Outside, the television replays were of his mother, her hands high, out of her seat cheering.

Murray is aware of the expectation that have moved from the shoulders of Tim Henman on to his after the English player retired.

As it was with Henman, the pressure does not come from what he may face on the tennis courts but the baggage that goes with being the only real British hope.

The other home players in the draw have largely perished, leaving the 20-year-old to satisfy public interest on his own.

"When I first came to Wimbledon and was playing I was agreeing to do everything, kind of tiring myself out that way. I've just kind of learnt to say no," he said.

The 12th seed looked the deal in his opening win over Fabrice Santoro but like Malisse, Murray had also missed Wimbledon last year through injury and did not have a distinguished French Open, where he departed in the second round.

He may have a voice that is well into the baritone range but he is also articulate and unafraid to express opinion.

"Is a player allowed to back himself in tennis?" he was asked. "Yeh," replied Murray. "I bet on myself to win Wimbledon this year."

It was tongue in cheek and he later changed the answer as players are not allowed to gamble on their own matches but Murray's play also did some talking.

His serve, particularly, was singeing, with the 16 aces and occasional 136 mph delivery drawing gasps around the Centre Court. A service break in the first set for 6-4 put the Scot's nose in front and generated momentum.

Malisse never really then looked to have the appetite, dropping the second set 6-2 and the third also 6-2 for Murray to earn a third-round meeting with Germany's Tommy Haas.