Andy Roddick beats Igor Kunitsyn 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 at Wimbledon

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Roddick reaches 3rd round at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England — Three-time Wimbledon runner-up Andy Roddick has advanced to the third round by rallying past Michael Llodra 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 (2).

Playing the first match Wednesday on sun-splashed Centre Court, Roddick hit 25 aces, lost serve just once and committed only 11 unforced errors.

Seeded fifth, Roddick began playing serve and volley more as the match progressed, and he won 34 points at the net.

“I had to make an adjustment,” Roddick said. “Off of my serve, I had to start coming in and serving and volleying behind it.”

England also won, 1-0.

Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams lost only 11 points on her serve and beat Ekaterina Makarova 6-0, 6-4. Williams is seeded second behind her sister Serena, who won when they met in last year’s final.

As the crowd applauded Roddick’s victory, he responded with a soccer kick, mindful that his match ended during England’s crucial World Cup game against Slovenia.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Justine Henin sweated a bit Wednesday at sunny Wimbledon, and not just because of the warm weather.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion twice was broken serving for the match, then regrouped and advanced to the third round by beating Kristina Barrois 6-3, 7-5.

Playing first on cozy Court 2, Henin built leads of 4-1 in the first set and 5-1 in the second. Serving for the win at 5-2, she double-faulted on consecutive points and lost the game, then lost serve again for 5-all.

But Henin broke back and served out the victory at love. She exhaled in relief after winning the final point against the German.

“I was sometimes too much in a rush to finish, probably because she gave up at that time and my intensity really dropped down,” Henin said. “I had a good reaction to the situation.”

Clijsters and Henin, both back at Wimbledon after coming out of retirement, could meet in the fourth round.

Umbrellas were out — not for rain, but as shields from the sun on the hottest day of the tournament. Williams rubbed a cold water bottle across her face during a changeover.

With temperatures heading into the low 80s, the All England Club’s public address announcer advised spectators to make sure they had skin protection, head wear and water.

“All are vital necessities,” he said.

Aside from the wobble at the finish, Henin kept her cool and improved to 7-0 on grass this year. She won the title at Den Bosch, Netherlands, last week.

Seeded 17th, the Belgian is playing at Wimbledon for the first time since 2007. She retired in 2008 and rejoined the tour in January.

Against Barrois, Henin won 21 points at the net and hit 38 winners. She seeks the only major title she has yet to win.

“That remains a dream for me,” she said. “I just see myself as an outsider this year, because I don’t know how I’m going to deal at a very high level. So it’s very hard to predict what could happen, but I really don’t see myself as one of the favorites.”

Clijsters committed just 13 unforced errors against Sprem and erased the only three break points she faced. The No. 8-seeded Clijsters, who returned from retirement last year, is playing at Wimbledon for the first time since 2006.

She has reached at least the third round at her past 16 Grand Slam tournaments.

Maria Sharapova’s back at Wimbledon, healthy again and hoping to display the grass-court flair that helped her win the title in 2004 as a precocious 17-year-old. She started strong Tuesday, beating fellow Russian Anastasia Pivovarova 6-1, 6-0 in 54 minutes.

It has been awhile since Sharapova made a run at Wimbledon. Two years ago, she lost in the second round to Alla Kudryavtseva, a Russian ranked 154th. Last year, following a 10-month layoff because of a shoulder injury, she lost in the second round to Gisela Dulko.

Now, she’s sounding optimistic about an extended stay.

“My body feels good,” she said. “I’m in much better match condition than I was last year.”

She’s 18-5 in 2010 with two tournament titles. And she’s having fun.

“My joy in the game is pretty up there with what it was before I got injured,” she said. “Maybe even more so, because it was taken away from me for such a long period of time that it made me realize how blessed you are when you’re actually on the court, are able to hit a tennis ball for an hour a day, and be good at what you do.”