WIMBLEDON, England — Wimbledon began with a few surprises Monday. There was lots of sunshine, Serena Williams wore a raincoat anyway, and Roger Federer’s change-over routine was interrupted by a friendly visit from his opponent.
The tennis went mostly as expected. Federer, Williams and new women’s No. 1 Ana Ivanovic won in straight sets. Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic also eased into the second round, while American men went 1-4.
The top-ranked Federer began his bid for a sixth consecutive Wimbledon title by winning the first match on Centre Court. Sporting a classy cardigan, he stepped onto the fresh grass promptly at 1 p.m. and looked eager to dispel the notion he’s in decline, winning the first 11 points and beating former doubles partner Dominik Hrbaty 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
During a changeover one game from the finish, Hrbaty broke with protocol by wandering over to the seated Federer.
“I looked over and there he was,” Federer said. “He asked if I could sit next to me. I said, ‘Sure. There’s no problem. There’s an extra seat.’ We go way back. . . . He said it might be his last Wimbledon, so it was almost a little bit emotional.”
Said Hrbaty: “If it had been someone else, I wouldn’t have done it. . . . We’ve had a lot of good times together. I just wanted to tell him he’s a great friend of mine, and I appreciate that.”
Federer extended his grass-court winning streak to 60 matches, including 35 at the All England Club, and yet his continuing domination is in doubt because he struggled the first half of the year.
That might help explain his prematch jitters.
“I did feel all of a sudden a little pressure about two minutes before I went on court,” Federer said. “I felt like, ‘Wow, OK, here we go. Let’s try to get off to a good start.’ I did.”
Williams ousted Estonian Kaia Kanepi 7-5, 6-3, and Ivanovic, in her first match as the No. 1-ranked woman, beat Rossana de Los Rios 6-1, 6-2.
“Becoming No. 1 takes more pressure, but also you have to see pressure for what it is,” Ivanovic said. “It’s a reflection of your own ambition.”
Fellow Serb Djokovic bounced back from a bad set to beat Michael Berrer 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.
The highest-seeded player to lose was No. 7 David Nalbandian, eliminated by Canadian Frank Dancevic 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.
Wimbledon/At a glance
A look at Wimbledon on the opening day Monday:
How the top seeds fared:
MEN — No. 1 Roger Federer, No. 3 Novak Djokovic, No. 5 David Ferrer and No. 10 Marcos Baghdatis advanced. No. 7 David Nalbandian lost.
WOMEN —No. 1 Ana Ivanovic, No. 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova, No. 6 Serena Williams and No. 8 Anna Chakvetadze advanced.
Today’s top matches: No. 2 Rafael Nadal vs. Andreas Beck, No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko vs. Benjamin Becker, No. 6 Andy Roddick vs. Eduardo Schwank, No. 9 James Blake vs. Christophe Rochus; No. 2 Jelena Jankovic vs. Olga Savchuk, No. 3 Maria Sharapova vs. Stephanie Foretz, No. 7 Venus Williams vs. Naomi Cavaday.
Stat of the day: 60 — Federer’s grass-court winning streak after Monday’s victory over Dominik Hrbaty.
Quote of the day: “It’s definitely not athletic attire. But it’s ladylike. … It’s just delectable.” — Serena Williams, on the belted white coat she wore.
On TV today: 5 a.m., ESPN2
The Associated Press
