 Roddick made an easy transition to grass at Queen's |
Andy Roddick eased into the Artois Championships third round with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Czech Radek Stepanek. Roddick blasted Stepanek out of contention with a series of aces and booming shots from the baseline.
Stepanek, watched from the stands at Queen's by his fiancee Martina Hingis, lacked the American's accuracy, missing many of his first serves.
Roddick missed a chance to break in the seventh game of the second set before succeeding in the ninth.
Roddick, ranked five in the world, now faces the winner of the clash between Britons Jamie Baker and Alex Bogdanovic in the third round.
The world number five said: "You can't really explain what it's like having Jimmy Connors as coach.
"He understands the pressures of playing in Grand Slams finals. Anything I've been though he's been through before - and then some.
"It's great to have his voice in my corner. He doesn't shout during training but his competitiveness is still there."
Fifth-seeded Croatian Ivan Ljubicic, 28, beat Danai Udomchoke of Thailand 6-3 6-4 to advance to the third round.
And France's exciting 20-year-old Gael Monfils, who had to withdraw last year with an injured back after reaching the quarter-finals, also looked at ease on the Queen's lawns.
He beat Russian Igor Andreev, the man who ousted Roddick in Paris, 6-3 6-4 in the first round.
Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan has withdrawn from Wimbledon, which starts on 25 June, with a wrist injury.
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Queen's highlights: Roddick beats Stepanek