Dokic let slip a 5-2 second set lead as she closed in on a win

"I've been very focused and calm so far and I felt pretty good out there - I'm getting into the flow," Davenport said.

Williams, the second seed, overcame early jitters before cruising to victory over Slovak teenager Daniela Hantuchova 6-3 6-2.

And Clijsters enjoyed an even easier passage past Canada's Maureen Drake before promising that there was more to come.

The Belgian, seeded seventh, stated her intentions by breaking Drake in the first game of the match.

Clijsters grew into her game as the match progressed and Drake, ranked 205th in the world, only managed to hold her serve once in the second set before going down 6-3 6-1 in 43 minutes.

The 18-year-old French Open finalist showed that she had completely adapted her game from the clay of Roland Garros and admitted that she "felt good" on the grass.

"I played good enough, served well and moved well but I didn't play my best," Clijsters said.

Dokic needed only a minute longer than Clijsters in disposing of Jennifer Hopkins in straight sets.

The Yugoslav, who reached the semis at Wimbledon last year, showed devastating power from the baseline in beating her American opponent 6-2 6-4.

Alexandra Stevenson, another former semi-finalist who reached the last four in 1999, was on the wrong end of defeat in the second round to another seed.

Stevenson's movement was hindered by a back injury

The 20-year-old, who gained entry into the championship through a wildcard, lost 6-3 6-2 to Italy's Silvia Farina Elia, ranked 16th.

But Stevenson was beaten as much by a painful back as anything her opponent could muster after aggravating an injury in her first round victory.

"I tried to play but I couldn't really serve and volley and I was at about 40%," the American explained after her defeat in which Farina Elia made sure she kept her opponent on the move.

Elsewhere five more seeds enjoyed straight set wins.

France's Nathalie Tauziat, seeded nine, beat Petra Mandula of Hungary 6-0 6-1 and her compatriot Amelie Mauresmo, the sixth seed at the championships, eased past Eleni Daniilidou of Greece 6-3 6-2.

South Africa's Amanda Coetzer, the 11th seed, saw off France's Emilie Loit 6-2 6-3 and Meghann Shaughnessy, the American 17th seed, beat Spain's Marta Marrero 7-5 6-0.

Russia's Elena Likhovtseva, seeded 29th, enjoyed a one-sided victory over another Spaniard, Cristina Torrens-Valero, 6-1 6-1.

And her fellow Russian, Nadeja Petrova, also enjoyed a comprehensive victory beating Sylvia Plischke of Austria 6-1 6-0.

Number 21 seed Barbara Schett beat Natalie Dechy of France 7-6 6-3, while number 31 Tamarine Tanasugarn defeated Ludmilla Cervanova of Slovakia 6-2 2-6 6-1.

Uzbekistan's Iroda Tulyaganova needed three sets to beat Adriana Serra-Zanetti of Italy 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-2.