LONDON (Reuters) - Expectation hung heavy in the air on a warm day at Wimbledon on Thursday with Andy Murray`s tea-time assignment on Center Court dominating the talk amongst the huge queues snaking their way into the All England Club.
Third seed Murray`s tricky second round match against showy Latvian Ernests Gulbis promises another crackling atmosphere up on Henman Hill where thousands bit their nails on Tuesday as the Scot battled to victory over American Robert Kendrick.
The 20-year-old Gulbis, tipped as future top-tenner, has not progressed as expected this year but is confident of making life uncomfortable for Murray and his growing army of fans, some of whom walked through the gates wearing ginger wigs and kilts.
"I lost two matches against him but I think in this tournament it`s a new match and the past won`t count," said Gulbis, who stirred things up by suggesting Murray deliberately took an injury time-out to disturb his concentration in their previous meeting on grass at Queen`s Club last year.
He also played down Murray-Mania, saying it would be tame compared to previous experiences in his career.
"For me it doesn`t matter if somebody is for my opponent," he said. "I played once in Macedonia. They were like showing fingers and laughing so I think here it`s easy."
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While Murray is seeking his first major, Thursday`s schedule was littered with members of the exclusive club of grand slam champions with 2002 men`s winner, feisty Australian Lleyton Hewitt, hoping to stop rising force Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina in a tasty-looking opener on Center Court.
Women`s fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, who won the French Open this month to add to the U.S. Open crown she claimed in 2004, has never looked at home on grass.
However, the Russian put on an impressive show of force to thrash Pauline Parmentier of France 6-1 6-3 as the results scoreboard began ticking over.
Kuznetsova crunched winners all over the court to send Parmentier packing in exactly an hour.
Women`s top seed Dinara Safina, beaten by Kuznetsova in the Roland Garros final, was hoping to follow her compatriot through later on Thursday against Paraguay`s Rossana De Los Rios.
Wimbledon, more than almost any other sporting fiesta, is stacked full of celebrities and wannabees but two unlikely newcomers were the talk of the media terrace as the world`s press corp tucked into their full English breakfasts.
Teenage ball girls Erin Lorencin and Chloe Chambers held an impromptu interview session after their moments of fame on Wednesday when first Lorencin was tumbled over by Frenchman Michael Llodra then Chambers played a light-hearted knock-about with Tommy Haas after the unfortunate Llodra retired injured.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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