Second seed Andy Roddick [Images] breezed into the fourth round of the Australian Open with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory over France's [Images] Julien Benneteau on Friday.

Roddick, who has already enjoyed comfortable victories over Michael Lammer and Wesley Moodie this week, now meets Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis for a place in the quarter-finals.

The world number three barely needed to kick into top gear against the qualifier and their 159-place difference in the rankings was evident throughout. The 23-year-old American restricted the Frenchman to just 40 points in total and sealed the match with his 17th ace after one hour and 22 minutes

GAUDIO DUMPED

Out-of-sorts eighth seed Gaston Gaudio wilted in scorching heat and was beaten 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 1-6, 6-4 by Frenchman Fabrice Santoro in the third round of the Australian Open on Friday.

Both players appeared to suffer badly as temperatures hovered around 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) on Vodafone Arena at Melbourne Park, with unseeded Santoro sitting swathed in ice packs during changeovers in the fourth and fifth sets.

Gaudio, the 2004 French Open champion, looked uncomfortable and sluggish early and was on the brink of a straight-sets defeat before staging an incredible fightback as the Frenchman wilted in the heat in a match lasting almost four hours.

However, the 33-year-old Santoro earned the decisive break in 10th game of the final set to reach the fourth round of a grand slam for only the fourth time since he turned professional in 1989.

He faces 11th seed David Ferrer of Spain in the next round.

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