Lleyton Hewitt launched his bid to reclaim the Wimbledon title in emphatic fashion with a straight sets first round win over Austria's Jurgen Melzer.

The 2002 champion and seventh seed set the tone when he broke Melzer in the opening game of the match and looked far too comfortable on the grass to suffer any repeat of last year's embarrassing first round loss to Ivo Karlovic.

Early rain delayed their match on Court One only by a few minutes and the menacing dark clouds stayed far enough away for Hewitt to finish off the world No.42 6-2 6-4 6-2 in 90 minutes, just before the covers came back out.

Although he wasn't shy of the net, Hewitt spent much of the match on the baseline from where he reeled off his trademark penetrating winners on both flanks.

But he was happy to come into the net to follow his deep groundstrokes and saved two break points in the fourth game of the first set with a pair of sweet drop volleys.

In all he had 15 winners at the net and 16 from the baseline and did not drop the serve which he had admitted he needed to improve.

He raced through the first set in 24 minutes, breaking the left handed Melzer's serve again to love in the fifth game with a series of stunning returns.

And he found his range with his backhand lobs, taking himself to within two points of the second set when he retrieved a Melzer forehand from well wide of the court to send it sailing back over his head.

He took the set when a Melzer forehand was controversially called long and the Austrian remained rooted to the spot while Hewitt pumped his fists and went to his chair.

Melzer cried out "ridiculous" before slamming his racquet down and storming off court for a calming toilet break.

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