Michael Russell's first round match was probably just the way his mother might describe him - short and sweet.

The pint-sized American saw off Russia's Denis Golovanov 6-1, 6-2 in the searing heat on Centre Court yesterday.

It was just the way Russell, a beaten semi-finalist last year, would have wanted it.

After having to battle his way through the qualifiers in 2001, the last thing he wanted was another slog early on in the competition this time around.

"I am really happy because it can creep up on you, especially if you keep winning, later on in the week," said the 23-year-old. "You don't realise it but a match that you play on Monday you can feel the effects on Saturday. It's really important that if you can make it quick, make it quick."

That he did was as much down to the Russian's unforced errors as his own skills.

Russell broke him in the very first game and the player from the same town as Yevgeny Kafelnikov never really looked like making a fight of it.

During the second game he disputed a line call and must have come very close to getting a warning from the match referee - maybe he couldn't understand Golovanov's mother tongue.

Russell ran into a 4-0 lead before the Russian got anything on the board.

But one game was all Golovanov was going to get in the first set and Russell, scampering this way and that in typical style, broke him in again in the final game for a 6-1 scoreline.

Thoughts of a reversal of fortune surfaced briefly in the second set when the Russian appeared on the verge of breaking Russell, at one point having the edge 15-40.

But he couldn't close the deal and Russell made him pay.

Russell held his serve and so confused was the Russian that in the next he didn't realise it was his honour, hitting the balls underhand to a bemused American.

He held his serve later for 4-2 but that was the closest the pair came, Russell stretching his lead and eventually taking the set and the match when he broke the Russian once more, his return drifting wide and out.

"I broke him first game and it wasn't that close," said Russell. "I don't know about it from his point of view but it seemed like his confidence was a little low or something.

"I got him moving right away and he didn't seem as confident on the court as I did."

Despite the fact he was not tested, Russell said the result was still a boost to his confidence.

"Before the clay court season I wasn't winning that many matches on the hard court," he said. "But I've always enjoyed the clay and I've got a new racket now, I've changed a lot of things, feel pretty good and I am ready to go."

Golovanov was magnanimous in defeat.

"I didn't play that well and he was playing better," said the Russian, having his first run out of the year on clay.

"It wasn't too easy to play today against this guy because he doesn't make any mistakes.

"He plays very good from the baseline and you have to play very consistently and very solid to beat him. I couldn't do that today."