Number three seed Andy Roddick beat fellow American Justin Gimelstob 6-1 7-5 7-6 (7-3) in their rain-delayed first-round clash on Court One at Wimbledon.

Roddick - beaten at the All England Club last year by Britain’s Andy Murray - settled quickly following a near two-hour hold-up and raced through the opening set 6-1 in just 25 minutes.

Gimelstob, 30, had missed the end of last season and the opening few months of 2007 after recovering from major back surgery, but rallied in the second set.

However, big-serving Roddick - who won the Artois Championships at Queen’s Club - eventually came through 7-5.

The third set went with serve until an epic ninth game, which saw Gimelstob save seven break points.

Roddick, though, eventually closed out the match on the tie-break, 7-3, to complete a straight-sets victory in just over two hours.

The Wimbledon crowd had been given an early chance to witness the new rule change this year when Gimelstob challenged a call on the first service game of the second set.

Hawk-Eye, though, confirmed the line judge was correct, his serve landing just out down the left side.

Both men held serve, and Gimelstob led 5-4 - after the veteran American had shared a joke with the crowd, declaring ‘you want more effort than that?’ in response to a fan following an athletic, diving forehand.

[1] Click here to read the full article at RTE.