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Clijsters storms into third round

Last updated on: June 23, 2010 21:12 IST
Kim Clijsters

Belgium's Kim Clijsters raced into the third round at Wimbledon on Wednesday courtesy of a 6-3, 6-2 win over Croatian Karolina Sprem.

The eighth seed, a two-time semi-finalist here, took her chance with her only break point in the opener before taking the first set in 33 minutes on a sun-bathed Court One at the All England Club.

Sprem, a former quarter-finalist here, then imploded as Clijsters found her range, cruising to victory in an hour and 13 minutes in her first Wimbledon since 2006 after taking a maternity break from the game.

Henin barges into third round

Last updated on: June 23, 2010 21:12 IST
Justine Henin

Justine Henin took a hesitant step towards a first Wimbledon title when she came through her second-round contest 6-3 7-5 against Germany's Kristina Barrois.

Henin, twice a losing finalist at the All England Club, looked sharper than in her first-round match and used her pace and groundstroke power to muscle her way to the opening set in 33 minutes against the world number 73.

But the former world number one stuttered when letting a 5-2 lead slip in the second before breaking the German's serve once again to lead 6-5 and then holding to love when a Barrois forehand looped over the baseline after an hour and 22 minutes.

Roddick recovers from slow start

Last updated on: June 23, 2010 21:12 IST
Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick finally woke up in time to prevent an unexpected second-round exit at Wimbledon when he came through 4-6 6-4 6-1 7-6 against dangerous Frenchman Michael Llodra.

Roddick, runner-up last year, dropped serve to love in the fifth game of the opening set against a player comfortable on grass but raised his game to dominate the next two sets.

Llodra regrouped in the fourth set and pushed the American into a tiebreak but Roddick forged 6-2 ahead and clinched victory when he punched away a forehand into a gaping court.

Roddick, hugely popular at Wimbledon after his three final defeats by Roger Federer, celebrated by kicking a ball into the crowd.

Bopanna-Qureshi enter second round

Last updated on: June 23, 2010 21:12 IST
Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (left)

The Indo-Pakistani pair of Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi entered the second round of the men's doubles at Wimbledon, beating Somdev Devvarman and his Philippine partner Treat Conrad Huey.

Somdev, who could not make it to the main draw of the men's singles event, fought tooth and nail in tandem with Huey but the experience of playing together stood Bopanna and Qureshi in good stead as they chalked out a hard-fought 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) win.

In the second round Bopanna and Qureshi will run into either 13 seeds Mardy Fish and Mark Knowles or the German-Slovak pair of Philipp Marx and Igor Zelenay.