MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Top-seeded Andy Roddick needed just an hour and 16 minutes to defeat Arnaud Clement 6-3, 6-3 Wednesday night in the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships.
Roddick, the tournament's 2002 champion, had dropped his previous two matches against Clement, both on clay.
But Roddick dominated Wednesday's match with a powerful serve and knack for keeping points alive. Clement was getting to shots early but seemed to lose a step during the match.
"It felt that way, but I'm cautious to say so because he's one of the fittest guys on tour," said Roddick, who has Thursday off before facing the winner of the Mardy Fish-Robby Ginepri quarterfinal. "I have trouble believing I wore him down in an hour and 15 minutes indoors with not a whole lot of heat elements."
Despite playing his seventh match in eight days, Roddick said he felt good about his own court movement, particularly some success against Clement's drop shots.
"I got to a couple," Roddick said. "That's good. Normally, I just watch."
Second-seeded Tommy Haas won his opening match with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jeff Salzenstein.
Jurgen Melzer, the tournament's No. 7 seed, was eliminated dropping a pair of tiebreakers 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) to Wayne Arthurs.
Melzer, who injured his ankle last week in San Jose, was the only seeded player on the men's side of the tournament to lose Wednesday.
Haas, the tournament's 1999 champ, said the key was getting off to a good start and putting pressure on Salzenstein.
"I was kind of dictating (the pace)," Haas said, "which I thought was important so he might feel early on that it's going to be very tough for him to beat me, and he's going to have to play even better than he thought."
In the Cellular South Cup, the women's draw in the tournament, top-seeded Vera Zvonareva and third-seeded Meghann Shaughnessy advanced.
Zvonareva, the defending champion, defeated Severine Beltrame 7-6, 6-3, and Shaughnessy won 6-3, 6-2 over Hana Sromova.
Seventh-seed Nicole Vaidisova and No. 8 Evgenia Linetskaya also advanced in straight sets.
