Federer, Serena win in style
WIMBLEDON, England — Wimbledon began with a few surprises Monday. There was lots of sunshine, Serena Williams wore a raincoat anyway, and Roger Federer’s changeover 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. local time and looked eager to dispel the notion he’s in decline, beating former doubles partner Dominik Hrbaty, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
During a changeover one game from the finish, the 30-year-old Hrbaty broke with protocol by wandering over to the seated Federer.
“I looked over and there he was,” Federer said. “He asked if [he] 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 pre-match 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.”
He looked as regal as ever in his warm-up outfit, highlighted by a beige, four-button sweater with gold trim and a stylized “F” on the left breast.
But judging from post-match interviews, Federer was upstaged on the fashion front — perhaps a further sign he’s in decline. His apparel inspired only one question, while Williams fielded five queries about the stylish white trench coat she wore onto court before beating Kaia Kanepi, 7-5, 6-3.
There were only three questions about Williams’ match, even though it provided a bit of drama when she faced a break point serving at 5-all in the first set.
Kanepi, an Estonian who reached the French Open quarterfinals, took lusty swings that often put two-time champion Williams on the defensive. But Williams endured the onslaught and took charge after Kanepi double-faulted to end the first set.
“Today definitely was not an easy match,” Williams said. “She was playing unbelievable. I felt like she wasn’t making any errors. I just felt like I just had to hang in there and stay positive.”
Defending champion Venus Williams begins her bid for a fifth Wimbledon title today when she faces wild-card Naomi Cavaday.
Ivanovic played her first match as the No. 1 woman and French Open champion, and the 20-year-old Serb seemed comfortable in the new role, beating Rossana de Los Rios, 6-1, 6-2.
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. Lleyton Hewitt, who beat Nalbandian in the 2002 final, fist-pumped his way to a five-set victory over Robin Haase.
Despite the sunny weather, it was another in a series of dismal days for U. S. tennis. The only American woman to join Williams in the second round was Bethanie Mattek, who rallied past Severine Bremond, 5-7, 6-0, 6-1. Ashley Harkleroad lost to 2006 champion Amelie Mauresmo, 6-4, 6-3.
The lone U. S. male to win was Bobby Reynolds, who advanced when Filippo Volandri retired with a sore left knee after losing the first two sets. Eliminated were Vince Spadea, Kevin Kim and 2008 Olympians Sam Querrey and Robby Ginepri.
Spadea blew a big lead against Thomas Johansson and lost, 6-7 (8), 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4, 6-3. Querrey also started fast but lost to former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Ginepri was eliminated by No. 15-seeded Fernando Gonzalez, and Kim lost to big-serving Robin Soderling, who will play Federer.
The three highest-ranked Americans — Andy Roddick, James Blake and Mardy Fish — are scheduled to play their opening matches today.
