Roddick brushes Beck aside

Three-time Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick eased through to this year’s second round with a 6-4 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 victory over qualifier Andreas Beck on Court One.

The eighth seed always had too much for the German left-hander, who caused some damage with his powerful forehand but rarely threatened on the Roddick serve.

The first break of the match came in the ninth game and was enough to give the American the opening set, but he found life tougher in the second as Beck battled hard.

When the 25-year-old, who reached the second round at the All England Club last year, gained a mini-break to lead 5-4 in the second-set tie-break, it looked like he may level the match.

However, Roddick responded by winning Beck’s next two service points and, although the German produced a superb volley to save one set point, he could not repeat that on the second.

From there it was reasonably straightforward for Roddick, a finalist in 2004, 2005 and 2009, with two breaks in the third set seeing him safely through to a second-round clash with Romania’s Victor Hanescu.