WIMBLEDON, England — Roger Federer continued his march toward a sixth straight Wimbledon title by beating Marc Gicquel in straight sets today, setting up a fourth-round matchup with the last man to win the championship before him.

Two-time women's champion Serena Williams dispatched 2006 winner Amelie Mauresmo 7-6 (5), 6-1, extending her supremacy over the Frenchwoman to a career record 10-2.

After the first rain delay of the tournament, Federer overwhelmed the 53rd-ranked Frenchman 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 on Centre Court for his 62nd consecutive win on grass and 37th straight at the All England Club.

His next opponent will be Lleyton Hewitt, who won Wimbledon in 2002 — the year before the Swiss star began his run of five straight titles.

Federer surprisingly dropped serve in the opening game. But he immediately broke back and was in control the rest of the way as he sailed to victory in 1 hour, 21 minutes. The rain delay before the match lasted longer — 1 hour, 41 minutes — the first rain of the tournament.

"Again, difficult conditions, tricky opponent," Federer said. "The wind was swirling. I got down a break in the first game and had to rally back. I played really well throughout the match considering the circumstances."

Federer hasn't dropped a set so far in the tournament.

"It's always nice," he said. "Couple of days off now. Hope I play as well next week. It's important to try to keep the game where it is."

Hewitt, who has been troubled by a chronic hip injury and is seeded No. 20, served 14 aces and beat Italy's Simone Bolelli 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (2).

Federer leads Hewitt 13-7 in career meetings and has won 11 straight going back to the Australian Open in 2004. They have played twice before at Wimbledon, with Federer winning in the quarterfinals in 2004 and semifinals in 2005.

"The next round will be much more difficult," Federer said. "We've played maybe over 16 times. He's a former No. 1 and Grand Slam champion. Should be a great match."

Williams followed Federer on Centre Court and, despite an erratic performance in windy conditions, swept past Mauresmo for the third time in three matches at Wimbledon.

"It was so windy out there and I couldn't make my shots," Williams said. "It was a little frustrating, but I'm glad I was able to pull that tiebreaker through. It was definitely intense. I don't think I played my best tennis, but I'm glad I pulled through."

Williams led 3-0 in the first set, but Mauresmo won four straight games. Williams saved a break point to avoid going down 5-4 and came through in the tiebreaker with some big shots, including a topspin lob winner.

Williams went up 3-0 again in the second set, and Mauresmo took an injury time-out for treatment on her heavily taped left thigh. Serving for the match, Williams was broken at love, but she broke back in the next game to close out the match with a forehand winner.

The 31-year-old Gicquel, who had never gone beyond the first round at Wimbledon, has a big serve and strong forehand but couldn't trouble Federer. Gicquel saved a set point on his own serve at 3-5, but Federer closed it out in the next game with a 129 mph ace.

On the final point of the second set, Federer whipped a forehand that left Gicquel lunging and doing the splits. Federer cruised through the third set in 20 minutes.

In women's play, advancing in early third-round matches were No. 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova, No. 8 Anna Chakvetadze, No. 14 Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 15 Agnes Szavay and No. 18 Nicole Vaidisova.

Top-seeded Ana Ivanovic was paired on Court 1 against China's Zheng Jie.

In men's matches, No. 11 Tomas Berdych lost to Ferndando Verdasco, 6-4, 6-4, 6-0.

Two of Federer's main challengers are already out of the tournament. No. 3-ranked Novak Djokovic, the Australian Open champion who had loomed as a possible semifinal opponent, was upset in the second round by Marat Safin. Two-time finalist Andy Roddick was bounced out Thursday by Janko Tipsarevic.

Roddick was in the bottom half of the draw along with No. 2 Rafael Nadal, who has lost to Federer in the last two finals.

Roddick wasn't the only big upset victim Thursday. Earlier in the day, 2004 champion Maria Sharapova was stunned 6-2, 6-4 by 154th-ranked Alla Kudryavtseva, her earliest loss in a Grand Slam tournament since her first full year on the tour in 2003.