THE script always suggested Andy Murray would need to beat a Swiss on his way to winning the Wimbledon title.

Now, in all probability, he will need to beat two. Next on Centre Court for the No 3 seed is Stanislas “Stan” Wawrinka, who partnered Roger Federer to an Olympic gold medal in Beijing but otherwise seems content with his role as the second-best player in Switzerland.

“Andy is playing great since the start of the tournament,” said the 24-year-old from Lausanne, who first broke into the top 10 last summer more by playing consistently in tour events than by threatening to take a big title. The last time the pair met, Murray ran out a comfortable winner on his way to reaching his first Grand Slam final at the US Open. Wawrinka has subsequently admitted he was blinded by the bright lights of a night match in New York and vowed that he would not be dazzled again by playing the villain of the piece on Centre Court. You suspect, though, that Wawrinka is at his happiest back in the village of Saint-Barthelemy, 10 minutes from Lausanne, where he lives with his long-time girlfriend, Ilham Vuilloud.

Wawrinka, like Federer, conducts his press conferences in English, French and German, a reflection of a complicated ancestry. The family is Polish but Stanislaus’ father, Wolfram, is German and his mother, Isabelle, French-Swiss. Both work on an organic farm for the disabled in Switzerland. He has Czech grandparents and his game, which has developed on a slow fuse since he gave up school at the age of 15, is equally disparate.

There is the Wawrinka of the opening set and a half against Jesse Levine, an unheralded qualifier, yesterday, lacklustre and wayward, and the Wawrinka of the last two sets, purposeful and fluent. But recent results suggest that from the highest ranking of nine his game has slipped away from its best.

Wawrinka still tends to lose only to the best, which will encourage Murray: Nadal (a nemesis), Del Potro and Djokovic in recent weeks. But an inaugural victory this season over Federer has helped to earn the Swiss credibility in his own country and boost his fragile confidence. Indeed, he and Federer, FedRinka, as they were dubbed, were named team of the year for 2008 for their Olympic gold.

Yesterday, having stuttered to an unconvincing four-set victory, Wawrinka talked of his fourth round here as the biggest match of his life. To complicate the encounter, Murray and Wawrinka are good friends and practised regularly together before these championships. The friendship will be left at courtside tomorrow.

“When you are in the match, you focus on the game and try to win,” he said. “That’s it. He \ likes playing on grass but I’m not too bad on grass either so I’m happy to play him on a grass court for the first time. We do know each other’s game but it’s the same for me as for him.”

Murray’s coaches might, though, have noted Levine exploited Wawrinka’s lack of footwork with the drop shot, Murray’s signature stroke.

Murray v Wawrinka: the story so far

Stanislas Wawrinka

(Swiss, world ranking 18)

Wawrinka is greatly influenced by his Swiss compatriot Roger Federer, but has so far been unable to begin to emulate his countryman’s Wimbledon record. Although his steady game can unsettle opponents, a fourth-round finish is his best to date

Murray v Wawrinka head-to-head record:

Murray leads 4-3

2008 US Open (hard) round of 16, Murray won 6-1 6-3 6-3

2008 ATP Masters Series Canada (hard) round of 16, Murray won 6-2 0-6 6-4

2008 ATP Masters Series Rome (clay) round of 32, Wawrinka won 6-2 7-6

2008 Marseilles (hard) round of 16, Murray won 3-6 7-6 6-1

2008 Doha (hard) final, Murray won 6-4 4-6 6-2

2006 ATP Masters Series Miami (hard) round of 128, Wawrinka won 7-5 3-6 6-4

2005 Davis Cup world group playoff, Switzerland v G Britain, Geneva (clay) Wawrinka won 6-3 7-6 6-4