Murray passes second-round test with ease

Melbourne, Australia – Andy Murray was an easy second-round winner Thursday at the Australian Open.

The third-seeded Murray, a two-time finalist at the year's first Grand Slam, posted a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Portugal's Joao Sousa at Hisense Arena.

Murray broke his opponent's serve five times, swatted 14 aces and fired 28 winners.

Up next for the Brit will be a third-round matchup with Ricardas Berankis. The Lithuanian handled 25th-seeded German Florian Mayer 6-2, 6-3, 6-1.

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 2008 Aussie Open runner-up, beat Japan's Go Soeda 6-3, 7-6 (7-1), 6-3 to reach the third round at Melbourne Park for the sixth consecutive year.

The seventh-seeded Tsonga will next meet Slovenian Blaz Kavcic, who outlasted Australian James Duckworth in the searing heat, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 10-8.

Croat Marin Cilic, a former Aussie Open semifinalist, Canadian Milos Raonic and Australian No. 1 and crowd favorite Bernard Tomic also advanced on Day 4.

The 12th-seeded Cilic defeated American Rajeev Ram 7-5, 6-2, 6-4, setting up a third-round clash with Italian Andreas Seppi. The 21st-seeded Seppi battled past Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.

Raonic, the 13th seed, topped Czech Lukas Rosol 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, 6-3 and will next face 17th-seeded German Philipp Kohlschreiber, who bested Israel's Amir Weintraub 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.

Tomic, coming off his first ATP World Tour title in Sydney, gutted out a 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (10-8) victory over German Daniel Brands at Rod Laver Arena. A potential matchup with Roger Federer in the next round looms for Tomic.

Jeremy Chardy of France rounded out the early winners. He ousted 30th-seeded Spaniard Marcel Granollers 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.