Andy Roddick of the United States serves against Radek Stepanek of Czech Republic at the Artois championships in west London yesterday. Roddick won 6-4, 6-4. - Reuters

LONDON (Reuters):

THREE-TIME former champion Andy Roddick put the dark days of clay behind him yesterday to record a confident and comfortable 6-4, 6-4 second-round victory over Radek Stepanek on the grass at Queen's.

The American second seed, ignominiously defeated in the first round of the French Open two weeks ago, delighted in the speed of the slick surface, hammering down unreturnable serves at speeds of up to 148 miles an hour (239 kph).

Stranded at the net

Stepanek, no slouch himself on grass having reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon last year, tried to serve and volley but often found himself stranded at the net by some fine Roddick passes.

The Czech dropped serve in the seventh game of the first set and the ninth of the second.

Roddick's match-winning game summed up the encounter. He won it to love with an ace, two serves that ricocheted uncontrollably off Stepanek's racket and a volley that the Czech could barely reach.

"This could be my favourite event," Roddick, 24, said. "It's easy to come back to a place where you have happy memories."

Roddick, a former U.S. Open champion now ranked fifth in the world, won the traditional Wimbledon warm-up tournament from 2003 to 2005. He was runner-up to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2004 and 2005.

Top seed Rafael Nadal, who like Roddick had a bye to the second round, begins his grasscourt campaign today, allowing him an extra day to rest following his French Open victory over Federer on Sunday.

Davydenko beats Melzer

HALLE, Germany (AP):

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO beat Jurgen Melzer of Austria 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-2 yesterday in the first round of the Gerry Weber Open despite being hit in the eye by a serve.

The third-ranked Russian, the top-seeded player after Roger Federer's withdrawal, was leading 5-2 in the final set when the German's serve bounced into his left eye. Davydenko's eye swelled slightly as he finished the match, earning a rare a win on grass.

"If my eye gets swollen and blue I have to seriously consider if I can play," said Davydenko, who lost to Federer in the French Open semi-finals last week. "I want to be 100 per cent OK with my eye to play."

Davydenko lost in his last two Halle appearances, in 2003 and 2004. In the middle of the match, he readjusted the tension on his racquet strings.

"I was surprised that I was getting better control after the racquet change and think I now have a good chance to win some more matches on grass," the Russian said.