Andy Murray booked a straightforward passage into the Australian Open third round as title rival Roger Federer set up an intriguing clash with cocky young Australian Bernard Tomic on Thursday.

On the hottest day so far at the Grand Slam with temperatures hitting 41 C, iced towels and water bottles were in big demand with the players.

British third seed and reigning US Open champion Murray was impressive in conceding just eight games in putting away 100th-ranked Portuguese Joao Sousa 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 in one hour 41 minutes.

Murray, twice a runner-up at the Australian Open, will have hitting partner, Lithuanian qualifier Ricardas Berankis, as his next opponent in the last 32.

The Scot, who trains in Miami to condition for the heat of the Australian Open, said he has played in tougher conditions but was glad he made short work of reaching the third round.

Murray was too hot to handle, breaking Sousa's service five times without facing a break point.

It was his sixth consecutive match victory this season after he beat Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov to win his 25th career title at the Brisbane International.

Later at night, Swiss world No.2 Federer again mastered old rival Nikolay Davydenko in three sets to confirm his matchup with big-talking Tomic, 20, in the last 32 on Saturday.

The record 17-time Grand Slam champion had few problems with the 40th-ranked Russian, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Federer stretched his record over Davydenko to 18-2 with a dominant performance containing three service breaks from 13 break point opportunities.

"I have so much more experience than him (Tomic)," Federer said.

While Murray made reasonably short work of it, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Tomic were kept on court for longer than they wanted under the broiling sun.

Frenchman Tsonga, a runner-up here five years ago, was made to toil hard in the heat for his 6-3, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 win over Japan's 73rd-ranked Go Soeda. It was seventh-seeded Tsonga's second victory in straight sets at the tournament and puts him in the last 32 where he will face unseeded Slovenian Blaz Kavcic.

Tomic remained on course for a likely showdown against Federer with a tightly fought win over German qualifier Daniel Brands.

The 20-year-old secured a 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/8) win to reach the third round and continue his unbeaten start to the year after claiming his first tour title at the Sydney International.

AFP - Global Times