Martin Lee needs to hit the ball harder for longer to make a mark in men's tennis.

That is the verdict on the Worthing ace from Roger Taylor, Great Britain's new Davis Cup captain.

Taylor was in the crowd on court two at Wimbledon yesterday for Lee's second-round defeat in four sets against the impressive Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui.

Lee started well, taking a tight first set 9-7 on the tie break.

But he was outpowered and ultimately outclassed 6-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 in a match lasting just over two hours.

Taylor, speaking exclusively to the Argus, outlined what the Sussex left-hander needs to do to take his game to a higher level.

"Martin started very well. He played at his best level in the first set, but was unable to sustain that throughout the match," said Taylor.

"He was hitting harder and serving harder in the first set and he has got to learn to play that game throughout.

"The strength of his shots dropped and Aynaoui picked up, because he is a hardened pro.

"Martin has got to learn at this level to maybe hit a bit harder and sustain it."

Aynaoui's reputation as a clay court specialist raised hopes that Lee could pull off a upset.

But if you are 15th in the world you can play, irrespective of the surface.

The lean and lanky North African, a quarter-finalist in the Australian Open at the start of the year, has a penetrating serve, an accurate forehand and an athletic build for grass.

Lee, conceding, height, experience and a chasm in the rankings, encouraged the belief that he might prevail in a tight and intriguing first set.

He broke for 2-1, was immediately broken back, but then capitalised on his fourth set point in the tie break with a forehand winner.

Aynaoui tapped his racquet with his hand in appreciation of shots by Lee on more than one occasion.

He could never have envisaged at that stage that the rest of the match would be so easy.

The statistics from the first set onwards expose what a lopsided contest it became.

Lee was broken in the opening game of the second and third sets and dropped his serve seven times in total.

Aynaoui, on the other hand, was never threatened again.

He lost only six points on his serve in the second set, three in the third and four in the fourth.

Lee's forrays into the net were too rare and his game too unreliable to put his opponent under any pressure.

The spectators, absorbed by his ability to initially match the Moroccan, were reduced to sympathetic bursts of applause as defeat became inevitable.

His gameplan had disintegrated by the fourth set.

There was no rhythm or pattern to his play and, shoulders sagging, he cut a forlorn figure at the finish.

The multi-lingual Aynaoui was contrastingly euphoric.

His game did the talking for him. It was an engaging and enjoyable display.

At the end a beaming Aynaoui flourished the Morroccan flag before departing to a generous ovation with his young son in his arms.

It was entirely appropriate, for in the final analysis it was child's play.

Aynaoui, through to the third round for the first time, now faces qualifier Vladimir Voltchkov, who knocked out French sixth seed Cedric Pioline in five sets.

Lee, meanwhile, should not be too downhearted.

He did well to get through the first round after five months off with a groin problem and at 22 has time on his side.

Taylor added: "Martin has tremendous talent and I am sure he can improve a lot."