Roddick puts out Gimelstob

Number three seed Andy Roddick beat fellow American Justin Gimelstob 6-1 7-5 7-6 (7-3) in their rain-delayed first-round clash on Court One at Wimbledon.

Roddick - beaten at the All England Club last year by Britain's Andy Murray - settled quickly following a near two-hour hold-up and raced through the opening set 6-1 in just 25 minutes.

And big-serving Roddick - who won the Artois Championships at Queen's Club - eventually came through the second set 7-5 and he eventually closed out the match on the third-set tie-break, 7-3, to complete a straight-sets victory in just over two hours.

A double fault in game 11 of the second set handed Roddick a break-point chance, which he converted when Gimelstob sent a return long and the world number three promptly held his next serve to love and took control of the match to lead 2-0.

To his credit, Gimelstob - who has a protected ranking here of 73 because of his recent injury problems - again refused to lie down in the third set.

The ninth game became an epic of 10 deuces as a combination of athletic volleys by Gimelstob and also Roddick's inability to kill off the rally saw the number three seed miss the chance to take a decisive advantage as the storm clouds gathered ominously.

Roddick, though, soon levelled the set up at 5-5, in a game which included another booming 134mph serve which inadvertently struck a line judge.

The tie-break then went with serve, 4-3 to Roddick.

Gimelstob won a challenge on his first service, only to then net before Roddick finally secured a mini-break and went on to force three match points.

The world number three claimed the first when Gimelstob sent a return long to secure a straight-sets victory, but one which Roddick had to work hard for.