Andy Murray said a fast start was key as he brushed aside Joao Sousa today – and, crucially, conserved plenty of energy for the challenges which lie ahead here at the Australian Open.

The world No.3 was too strong in every facet of the match as he won 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 against a game but, ultimately, outclassed opponent.

In temperatures which exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit, getting the job done quickly was vital and Murray was engaged for a mere hour and 41 minutes as he booked his place in the third round against resurgent Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis, who thrashed 25th seed Florian Mayer for the loss of just six games.

Murray admitted afterwards that getting out of the blocks so swiftly in the first set allowed him to tailor his gameplan to the conditions.

He said: "I got up a couple of breaks pretty quickly in the first two sets so I could play, not loose points, but I could try to shorten the points, which helps. I also served well today. I got a lot of free points on my serve.

"There were very few long rallies so it worked out well for me because it was really tough conditions."

The US Open and Olympic champion took to Hisense Arena in early afternoon and he admitted it became particularly difficult when the sun broke through the clouds.

"It was actually okay when the sun was in, but when it came out it got really hot, really quickly," he added. "It was a good match to get done in straight sets."

The Scot will now focus on his last 32 showdown with Berankis, and said: "I have practised with him a lot. He is a very hard worker, he has had a couple of injuries over the last couple of years and it will be tough."

Meanwhile, Roger Federer triumphed in a battle of old sparring partners, swatting aside Russian veteran Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to cruise into the third round.

Resplendent in a pair of pink and black two-toned sneakers, Federer captured a break early in each set, while his 40th-ranked opponent never had a look at his serve and surrendered their 20th tour clash in just under two hours.

The blue-collar Davydenko offered stiffer resistance than Swiss maestro's first-round opponent Benoit Paire, but Federer stayed cool on a balmy evening at Rod Laver Arena and belted an ace to close out the match.

Federer will continue his bid for an 18th Grand Slam title and fifth at Melbourne Park against Australia's Bernard Tomic.

French No.7 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga said he was unhappy with his performance even though he beat Japan's Go Soeda 6-3, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3. He said: "I didn't have the right attitude."

Tsonga's compatriot Gael Monfils double-faulted on four successive match points before finally clinching victory in just under four hours against Yen-Hsun Lu of Taiwan 7-6, 4-6, 0-6, 6-1, 8-6.