Roddick blasts fiery Rusedski
The match swung Roddick's in a 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/1), 7-5 win in 2hr 4min when Rusedski lost his cool in the ninth game of the third set when a spectator called a Roddick return out.
In fact the shot was good, the American won the point and Rusedski launched a tirade in the direction of umpire Lars Graff's chair.
The 29-year-old Canadian-born Briton's game collapsed thereafter and Roddick raced on to a meeting with Spain's Tommy Robredo, the 25th seed. Roddick said he sympathised with the predicament of Rusedski, who has only recently returned from a nine-month injury nightmare.
"I've been there before and I definitely know what I've felt like when I've had calls like that before," said Roddick.
Both men have pulled out 149 mph (238kph) serves on grass Roddick doing so on the way to winning at Queen's last week while Rusedski won the title in Nottingham.
Rusedski forlornly apologised for his outburst.
"It's just the heat of the moment. That's just the way tennis goes. In the third set I lost it a little bit on that call but he played well and deserved to win," said Rusedski.
Three-time champion John McEnroe, commentating for the BBC which also apologised for Rusedski's audible obscenities said he believed the umpire should have replayed the point and said he expected Rusedski would fined up to £20,000.
Earlier, Swiss fourth seed Roger Federer lived up to his status as one of the tournament favourites by scoring a 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 win over 71st-ranked Austrian Stefan Koubek.
The 21-year-old from Basel did justice to his nickname The Federer Express by bludgeoning Koubek in 1hr 16min after first saving a set point in a tight opening set.
He next meets Mardy Fish, who blasted fellow American Jan-Michael Gambill off court 6-4, 6-4, 6-1.
"I feel like I'm returning well but he Fish has got a bigger serve than the other two guys I've played so far. I'm the highest seed left in my half of the draw but I don't look at myself like I'm already in the final," said Federer.
Federer has been touted as a future champion since upsetting Pete Sampras, then defending champion, in the fourth-round two years ago. But he then crashed to Tim Henman and last year exited in the opening round to Croatia's Mario Ancic.
Precocious Spanish star Rafael Nadal blitzed Britain's 487th-ranked Lee Childs 6-2, 6-4, 6-3.
Nadal, just turned 17, next meets 12th seed Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand, who survived two match points to see off French former junior champion Olivier Mutis 4-6, 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5, 7-5 in a three-and-a-half hour battle.
Three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten slumped out as US veteran Todd Martin beat the Brazilian 17th seed 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-4.
Martin, a semi-finalist in 1994 and 1996, next meets Australian Open finalist Rainer Schuettler, the German ninth seed ousting Frenchman Fabrice Santoro 6-2, 6-3, 6-3.
Two former women's champions were also in a hurry to progress.
Fourth seed Venus Williams, winner in 2000 and 2001, swamped Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia 6-4, 6-1 in just 61min while 1999 champion Lindsay Davenport overpowered Italian Rita Grande 6-3, 6-1.
"I know that I have the ability to win", said Venus, whose game is returning after a poor French Open campaign.
The 23-year-old is out to win her fifth Grand Slam crown but first since the 2001 US Open.
Venus next meets Nadia Petrova of Russia, the 29th seed who ended the hopes of Angelique Widjaja of Indonesia 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
Second seed Kim Clijsters of Belgium moved into the third round with a 6-1, 6-3 win in just 56min over Virginie Razzano of France and now meets Samantha Reeves of the United States.
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