Roger Federer launched his bid for a record sixth successive Wimbledon title in blistering style with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Slovakia's Dominik Hrbaty on Monday.
The world number one also racked up his 60th consecutive grasscourt victory, marking his return to his beloved Centre Court with a win as comfortable-looking as the 1920s-style cardigan he wore to mark the occasion of the start of the 2008 championships.
Federer, whose last Grand Slam appearance ended in utter humiliation at the hands of Rafael Nadal in the French Open final, showed that the mental scars of Roland Garros had been soothed by his reappearance at the All England Club where he hasn't lost for six years.
"I played really well and it was great fun against one of my good friends on the tour," said Federer who didn't face a break point in the match. The top seed had lost both his previous meetings to Hrbaty but the most recent was in 2004 and the former world number 12 was down at 272 when the draw for Wimbledon was made after undergoing surgery on his right elbow which sidelined him for six months.
Federer raced through the first two sets in just 58 minutes and then reeled off five straight games to lead 5-1 in the third. The 30-year-old Hrbaty, making his 12th consecutive appearance here, held on to trail 2-5 and then won warm applause from the crowd when he spent the changeover chatting amicably to his opponent on the seat next to the champion.
The two are close friends having played doubles together and practised regularly. The gesture didn't alter the outcome as Federer completed victory after just 79 minutes on court and goes on to face Sweden's Robin Soderling for a place in the third round.
MEN'S SINGLES RESULTS: Wimbledon men's singles first round results on Monday (prefix number denotes seeding, * denotes new result)
15-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat Robby Ginepri (United States) 7-6(3) 7-5 7-5; * Thomas Johansson (Sweden) beat Vince Spadea (United States) 6-7(8) 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4 6-3; * Albert Montanes (Spain) beat Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) 6-3 7-6(2) 6-4; 31-Feliciano Lopez (Spain) beat Brian Dabul (Argentina) 7-6(1) 3-6 6-3 6-4; 29-Andreas Seppi (Italy) beat Tobias Kamke (Germany) 5-7 6-3 6-2 6-4; 10-Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) beat Steve Darcis (Belguim) 6-3 6-2 6-7(5) 6-3; Mischa Zverev (Germany) beat Alexander Peya (Austria) 6-3 6-4 6-4; 21-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) beat Sam Querrey (United States) 2-6 6-4 6-4 6-4; 1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) 6-3 6-2 6-2; Robin Soderling (Sweden) beat Kevin Kim (United States) 7-5 0-6 6-3 6-4; Roko Karanusic (Croatia) beat Luis Horna (Peru) 7-6(4) 6-3 6-1.
WOMEN'S SINGLES RESULTS: Wimbledon women's singles first round results on Monday (prefix number denotes seeding, * denotes new result)
-- Li Na (China) beat Anastasia Rodionova (Russia) 3-6 6-0 6-1; * Vera Dushevina (Russia) beat 19-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) 6-3 6-3; 1-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) beat Rossana De Los Rios (Paraguay) 6-1 6-2; Pauline Parmentier (France) beat Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzbekistan) 7-5 6-4; Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) beat 17-Alize Cornet (France)
7-6(6) 7-6(4); Elena Vesnina (Russia) beat Nuria Llagostera Vives (Spain) 6-7(6) 6-4 6-4; Nathalie Dechy (France) beat Yuan Meng (China) 6-7(7) 6-3 6-0; 6-Serena Williams (United States) beat Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) 7-5 6-3; Elena Baltacha (Britain) beat Angelique Kerber (Germany) 6-3 2-6 7-5; Evgeniya Rodina (Russia) beat 27-Virginie Razzano (France) 0-6 6-2 6-4; Jie Zheng (China) beat 30-Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) 6-4 6-3; Urszula Radwanska (Poland) beat Klara Zakopalova (Czech Republic) 6-1 6-4; Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat Ioana Raluca Olaru (Romania) 6-2 6-2; 18-Nicole Vaidisova (Czech Republic) beat Zuzana Ondraskova (Czech Republic) 6-2 6-2.
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