LONDON (AFP) - Australia's Lleyton Hewitt rolled back the Wimbledon years on Thursday to reach the third round with a blistering dismissal of Argentine fifth seed Juan Martin del Potro.

But while 2002 champion Hewitt had a packed Centre Court on its feet, it was business as usual in the women's draw as five-time champion Venus Williams, French Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova and world number one Dinara Safina eased into the last 32.

The 28-year-old Hewitt demolished giant Argentine del Potro, eight years his junior, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 to reach the third round for the ninth time and now tackles Germany's Philipp Petzschner for a place in the last 16.

The Australian, whose ranking has slipped to 56 following hip surgery, collapsed to his knees in celebration at the end.

"I haven't beaten a top five player for a long time," said Hewitt.

"I was really up for it today. When you have played a final on Centre Court you should be able to handle the pressure but I knew that Juan Martin is a helluva player."

If Hewitt makes it to the quarter-finals, he could clash with two-time runner-up Andy Roddick who saw off Russia's Igor Kunitsyn 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 and now tackles Austria's Jurgen Melzer.

Like Hewitt, American Roddick virtually carries his men's tennis hopes.

"This ain't Candy Land. We can't really make fantasy worlds up. You just kind of deal with it and move on," said the 26-year-old Roddick.

Third-seeded Venus Williams, the defending women's champion, took only an hour to see off Ukraine's Kateryna Bondarenko 6-3, 6-2 while Russian fifth seed Kuznetsova spent just four minutes longer in disposing of France's Pauline Parmentier 6-1, 6-3.

Williams goes on to face Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro while Kuznetsova, a three-time quarter-finalist here, meets promising German Sabine Lisicki.

"Everything was working for me. I'm on a great run here and I just want to keep it going," said Williams, who played with heavy strapping on her left knee.

Safina, still looking for a first Grand Slam debut to back-up her number one status, saw off Paraguay's Rossana De Los Rios 6-3, 7-5.

The Russian next plays Belgium's Kirsten Flipkins who ended British interest in the women's singles with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Elena Baltacha.

Australian 18th seed Samantha Stosur, a semi-finalist at the French Open, struggled past German qualifier Tatjana Malek 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 and will face former world number one Ana Ivanovic.

France's Amelie Mauresmo, the 2006 champion, also went through as did Danish ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki and China's Li Na, who made the last eight in 2006.

Later Thursday, world number three Andy Murray tackles stylish Latvian Ernests Gulbis for a place in the third round as he continues his campaign to end Britain's 73-year wait for a men's champion.