Andy Murray was made to fight before advancing through his first Wimbledon examination with a 'must do better' verdict.

And the relief was palpable on a day when British players checked in and checked out of the All England Club in double-quick time.

Third seed Murray claims the pressure of national expectation - which will only ratchet up with every round - will not faze him but this was an uncharacteristically nervy performance.

However, it's one few will ever remember if he achieves his potential and delivers on his promise a week on Sunday.

Robert Kendrick, who Murray had beaten in three previous meetings, put up a spirited fight but the world number 76 finally ran of ideas as the third seed secured his progress 7-5, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and 38 minutes

"It was a tough match. He served great for three sets and made it very difficult for me," said Murray.

"I didn't return as well as I would have liked but I was happy with how I served.

"The longer the match went on the better I began to feel.

"It's good to have a test like that early in the tournament and I needed to play well."

Murray didn't take long to reacquaint himself with the rarefied atmosphere of centre court while Kendrick initially seemed in awe of his iconic surroundings.

The British number one broke early to establish control but then allowed his opponent back into the match as his concentration inexplicably slipped.

He took the first set after 39 minutes but it was far from convincing and Kendrick - his early match nerves finally settled - started to exploit Murray's apparent tentativeness.

The second set remained close but Murray, one of the best returners in tennis, suddenly developed problems reading Kendrick's serve.

And when he was edged out in a second set tie-break, a wave of anxiety crashed around centre court.

But Murray's serve was fully functioning again in the third set, a critical statistic that made the critical difference as he edged ahead again.

And - advantage reestablished - he made no mistake, breaking Kendrick early in the fourth and serving out the match at the first opportunity.

Latvian Ernests Gulbis now await in the second round following his 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 win over Ricardo Ghedin.