LONDON, June 20: Banishing early stormclouds, Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt thundered through to the second round of Wimbledon on Monday. The afternoon sun which bathed south-west London after a damp start to the opening day also heralded victories for Lindsay Davenport, Amelie Mauresmo and Kim Clijsters on the All England Club’s lush green lawns.

Champion Federer raced into the second round with a 6-4 6-2 6-4 win over Paul-Henri Mathieu.

Federer, who clattered 18 aces past his French opponent, was joined in the second round by the man he considers a main rival for his crown, 2002 champion Hewitt.

The Australian baseliner wasted no time sweeping aside Belgium’s Christophe Rochus 6-3 6-3 6-1 in 92 minutes.

Women’s top seed Lindsay Davenport thrashed Russia’s Alina Jidkova 6-0 6-2 and third-seeded Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo beat Hungary’s Melinda Czink 6-3 6-2.

Mauresmo, who has never won a grand slam singles title, said her confidence had not been dented by an early loss at the Eastbourne warm-up event.

Ninth seed Anastasia Myskina had a scare before finally scrambling over the first hurdle.

Russia’s first women’s grand slam winner when she triumphed at the French Open last year, Myskina was pressed all the way before beating Czech qualifier Katerina Bohmova 5-7 7-6 6-4.

Myskina trailed 4-1 in the second set and 3-0 in the third before winning both to avert a second successive first round loss at a grand slam tournament.

Last month she became the first defending champion to lose in the opening round at Roland Garros when she lost to Spain’s Maria Sanchez Lorenzo.

Fellow Russian Marat Safin wasted little time beating Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan 6-2 6-4 6-4.

The fifth seed and Australian Open champion looked comfortable on a surface he admits is not his favourite against an opponent known for his serve-volley game on grass.

Safin secured victory in the 500th match of his career with two successive aces to set up a second round clash with either Slovakia’s Karol Beck or Australian Mark Philippoussis, the 2003 Wimbledon finalist.

Teenager Sania Mirza became the first Indian woman to reach the second round of Wimbledon with a hard-fought 6-3 3-6 8-6 victory over Japan’s Akiko Morigami.

The 18-year-old’s win set up an intriguing second-round showdown with U.S. Open champion and fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, who will be aiming to avenge her surprise defeat by the Indian in Dubai earlier this year.

Kuznetsova thrashed Britain’s Rebecca Llewellyn 6-0 6-1.

Belgian Kim Clijsters also beat a Briton, ousting wildcard Katie O’Brien 6-2 6-3.

Former world number one Clijsters arrived at the All England Club strongly fancied after capturing the Eastbourne title on Saturday.

French Open runner-up Mariano Puerta hardly had time to knock the clay from his shoes before skidding out of the first round 6-1 6-1 6-4 to German Lars Burgsmueller.

Results:

Men’s singles (first round)

David Sherwood (GBR) bt Ricardo Mello (BRA) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4; Alessio Di Mauro (ITA) bt Joshua Goodall (GBR) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) 6-3; Roger Federer (SUI) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 6-4, 6-2, 6-4; Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) bt Christophe Rochus (BEL) 6-3, 6-3, 6-1; Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) bt Alan Mackin (GBR) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4; Ivo Minar (CZE) bt Michal Tabara (CZE) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; Tomas Zib (CZE) bt Jose Acasuso (ARG) 7-5, 6-3, 6-3; Feliciano Lopez (ESP) bt Bjorn Phau (GER) 5-7, 7-6 (10/8), 6-7 (5/7); 6-2, 6-4; Taylor Dent (USA bt Dick Norman (BEL) 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6- 7 (7/9), 6-1; Marat Safin (RUS) bt Paradorn Srichaphan (THA) 6-2, 6-4, 6-4; Greg Rusedski (GBR) bt Alberto Martin (ESP) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1; Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) bt Scott Draper (AUS) 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-3; Lars Burgsmuller (GER) bt Mariano Puerta (ARG) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4;Joachim Johansson (SWE) bt Albert Montanes (ESP) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 7-5; Nicolas Kiefer (GER) bt Julien Benneteau (FRA) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 3-6, 6-4; Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) bt Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; Dominik Hrbaty (SVK) bt Cyril Saulnier (FRA) 7-6 (7/0), 6-0, 6-2; Kevin Kim (USA) bt Alex Bogdanovic (GBR) 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-4, 6-2; Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Tommy Robredo (ESP x13) 6-1, 6-2, 7-5; Lee Hyung-Taik (KOR) bt Thomas Enqvist (SWE) 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 6-4; Jean-Rene Lisnard (FRA) bt Oscar Hernandez (ESP) 6-4, 2-1 – retired; Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP bt Jamie Delgado (GBR) 7-6 (7/2), 6-1, 6-4.

Women’s singles (first round): Jelena Jankovic (SEM) bt Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) 6-4, 6-2; Elena Likhovtseva (RUS) bt Anna Smashnova (ISR) 6-2, 6-2; Mariana Diaz-Oliva (ARG) bt Anne Keothavong (GBR) 6-3, 6-4; Meghann Shaugnessy (USA) bt Julia Schruff (GER) 6-1, 1-6, 6-2; Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) bt Tatiana Perebiynis (UKR) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5); Michaela Pastikova (CZE) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS) 7-6 (7/1), 6-4; Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) bt Jelena Kostanic (CRO) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Antonella Serra Zanetti (ITA) bt Patty Schnyder (SUI 6-4, 6-7 (7/9)6-3; Sania Mirza (IND) bt Akiko Morigami (JPN) 6-3, 3-6, 8-6; Aiko Nakamura (JPN) bt Evie Dominikovic (AUS) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4; Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) bt Rebecca Llewellyn (GBR) 6-0, 6-1; Jamea Jackson (USA) bt Marta Marrero (ESP) 6-2, 6-3; Anastasia Myskina (RUS) bt Katerina Bohmova (CZE) 5-7, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4; Lindsay Davenport (USA) bt Alina Jidkova (RUS) 6-0, 6-2; Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) bt Melinda Czink (HUN) 6-3, 6-2; Dinara Safina (RUS) bt Sanda Mamic (CRO) 6-3, 6-4; Roberta Vinci (ITA) bt Ai Sugiyama (JPN) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4; Kim Clijsters (BEL) bt Katie O’Brien (GBR) 6-2, 6-3; Shenay Perry (USA) bt Sarah Borwell (GBR) 7-6 (13/11), 6-3; Aiko Nakamura (JPN) bt Evie Dominikovic (AUS) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4; Maria Kirilenko (RUS) bt Els Callens (BEL) 6-2, 7-6 (7/3); Anne Kremer (LUX) bt Abigail Spears (USA) 6-0, 2-6, 6-2; Mashona Washington (USA) bt Amy Frazier (USA) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4; Barbora Strycova (CZE) bt Lilia Osterloh (USA) 6-3, 7-5; Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) bt Karolina Sprem (CRO) 6-2, 6-2.—Agencies