Roger Federer hits a shot to Ivo Minar at Wimbledon on Tuesday

London: Expending no more energy than is required to swat a fly, Roger Federer sped past Czech Ivo Minar into the third round of Wimbledon on Wednesday.

The Swiss machine needed just 82 minutes for a 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 victory which took his winning sequence on grass to 31.

Kim Clijsters also scorched into the third round of the women’s singles, taking just 44 minutes to beat Marissa Irvin 6-1, 6-1.

World No. 2 Lleyton Hewitt fired his way into the third round with a 6-2, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 win over Jan Hernych, smacking 15 aces on the way.

Champion in 2002, Hewitt next faces Justin Gimelstob after the American beat Olympic champion Nicolas Massu of Chile 6-3, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6.

In women’s action, Lindsay Davenport demolished fellow-American Jamea Jackson 6-0, 6-3 to reach the third round.

World No. 1 Federer was given a worthwhile workout in the first two sets before he gently squeezed the throttle to leave Minar trailing in his wake.

Tougher hurdles will come, however, and Federer will be keeping an eye on the sublime progress of charismatic Russian Marat Safin.

The once self-confessed hater of Wimbledon’s treacherous green lawns gunned down former finalist Mark Philippoussis 7-6, 7-6, 6-4 in a high-octane Centre Court opener.

Australian wildcard Philippoussis, who has dropped to 142 in the rankings, squandered three set points in the first set and paid a heavy price as fifth seed Safin completed an impressive victory with a thumping ace.

Clijsters, the 15th seed, was joined in the next round by French third seed Amelie Mauresmo who despatched Spain’s Maria Sanchez-Lorenzo 6-1, 6-3.

It was not such smooth sailing for ninth seed Anastasia Myskina, who went through her full repertoire of on-court theatrics during a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Aiko Nakamura.

In an all-French battle held over from Tuesday, ninth seed Sebastien Grosjean held off Michael Llodra to reach the second round.

Having been two points from defeat on Tuesday and trailing 3-4 in the fifth overnight, Grosjean reeled off the last three games to win 3-6, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4.

In men’s second round action British wildcard David Sherwood’s tournament came to an end when he lost 2-6, 4-6, 2-6 to Spanish 26th seed Feliciano Lopez.

American Taylor Dent went through with a straightforward 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 defeat of compatriot Kevin Kim.