Djokovic, Federer ease through
Top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic reached the Wimbledon second round on Monday with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 win over Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Djokovic, playing for the first time since his French Open final defeat to Rafael Nadal, will face America's Ryan Harrison for a place in the last 32.
The world No 1 had seen his hopes of becoming just the third man to hold all four Grand Slam titles at once shattered by his defeat at the hands of Nadal in Paris.
The 25-year-old, playing in a 31st successive Grand Slam tournament, opted to nurse his wounds by holidaying in Scotland rather than playing a grass court warm-up event.
And he looked rusty early on Monday as he opened proceedings on Centre Court, dropping serve to trail the 32-year-old Ferrero, a former world No 1 and ex-French Open champion, 2-1.
But the Serb broke back immediately for 2-2 and went to 5-3 when Ferrero hit a forehand long.
An ace gave Djokovic the first set 6-3 before he dominated the second set by the same score as Ferrero, a quarterfinalist in 2007 and 2009, wilted.
Another break in the second game of the third set allowed the Serb to put the Spaniard further onto the defensive and he edged closer to victory with another break to lead 4-0.
Ferrero stopped the rot at 5-1, but another ace gace Djokovic the match in the next game after just 98 minutes on court.
EASY START FOR FEDERER
Third seed Roger Federer, meanwhile, beat Spain's Albert Ramos 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 to reach the second round, taking just 79 minutes to kick off his bid for a record-equalling seventh title.
The six-time champion, and record 16-time Grand Slam title winner, will face colourful Italian Fabio Fognini for a place in the last 32.
Federer, shunted out on to Court One for his 2012 opener, fired down nine aces in his straightforward win over left-hander Ramos, the world number 43 who has never won a match on grass.
"The crowd were excited to see us play. I played a good match against a guy who doesn't have much experience on grass courts," said the Swiss.
"It was a clean match, I could save energy and it gives you confidence when you close out a match that easily."
Federer, without a Grand Slam title since the 2010 Australian Open, is bidding to equal Pete Sampras's record of seven Wimbledon titles.
But he has fallen in the quarterfinals in the last two years, losing from two sets to love up for the first time in his career in 2011 when he went down to France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
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NALBANDIAN FLOORED
David Nalbandian hit out in the direction of tennis officials after losing in straight sets in the first round -- but this time no physical damage was done.
The Argentinian was beaten 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 by Serbian eighth seed Janko Tipsarevic in his first match since being disqualified in the Queen's final for destroying an advertising hoarding and wounding a line judge.
He then hit out at the ATP men's tour and this time questioned umpires over-ruling line judges on crucial calls when modern technology can prove if a ball was in or out by millimetres.
"They never do mistakes at 15-all. All mistakes are in the deuce, the break points, very important moments. I don't know why," he said.
"Now technology helps everybody when it's a very tight call, and still we're having tricky points."
Former Wimbledon finalist Nalbandian was asked whether umpires should over-rule line calls at all, given the availability of Hawk-Eye technology in tennis.
"They have to be very sure, 100 per cent. If they are not, let the players do a challenge. Pretty much they do it like this at the moment. Nobody gets involved, really involved, in the point as many as before," he said.
"So I don't know why the rush to call at an important moment."
At Queen's, Nalbandian had been one set up in the final against Marian Cilic when he booted the advertising board around the line judge's feet, smashing it into his shin and leaving him bleeding and clearly in pain.
"Bad luck. Can happen to everybody," Nalbandian said of the incident.
"Everybody understood it wasn't a good thing that I did, but was very unlucky, as well."
The world number 40 was sanctioned approximately $70 000 in prize money and fines, and 150 ranking points for unsportsmanlike conduct.
There was no repeat of the incident at Wimbledon -- no advertising is allowed at the Championships in any case -- but he showed flashes of the temper that has got him into trouble in the past, smacking his racquet into the turf and swinging it in anger.
Nalbandian reached the final on his Wimbledon debut in 2002, losing to Australia's Lleyton Hewitt. He was unseeded this time around.
"David was the toughest first round opponent you could get here," Tipsarevic said after his win.
"I feel a little bit lucky because I think David had a lot of break chances in the first and second sets which he did not use."
He faces American qualifier Ryan Sweeting in the second round.
BERDYCH OUSTED
Czech Tomas Berdych was the biggest casualty on the opening day when the sixth seed was beaten 7-6 7-6 7-6 by Latvia's Ernests Gulbis.
Berdych, beaten by Nadal in the 2010 final, saved a match point at 4-5 down in the third set when Gulbis missed a backhand winner by millimetres, but he succumbed in the tiebreak when he netted a forehand.
Gulbis, seen as a rising talent a few years ago but who has never delivered on his full potential, is languishing at 87th in the world rankings but played some sensational tennis to leave Berdych reeling.
The 23-year-old is looking to end a dismal run in grand slams in which he as not gone beyond the second round since reaching the French Open quarterfinals in 2008.
Another surprise was the exit of American number one John Isner, the 11th seed.
The man best remembered for his record-breaking 11-hour duel with France's Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010, was beaten 6-4 6-7 3-6 7-6 7-5 by Colombian Alejandro Falla.
Isner's defeat means there can be no third successive Wimbledon clash against Mahut -- a potential second round opponent for Falla if the Frenchman beats Paolo Lorenzi.
