WIMBLEDON, England — Wimbledon began with a few surprises yesterday. 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. 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, 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 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 grasscourt 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, okay, here we go. Let’s try to get off to a good start.’ I did.”

He looked as regal as ever in his warmup outfit, highlighted by a beige, four-button sweater with gold trim and a stylized F on the left breast.
But judging from postmatch 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.

The match was the first for the Williams sisters since they lost on the same day in the third round at the French Open. They flew from France to Florida and prepared for grass by hitting on hard-courts.

The unorthodox preparation for Wimbledon is standard for the sisters and not to be questioned — they’ve won the title six of the past eight years.

“We just go home and practice in the hot sun,” said Serena, who is seeded sixth. “We’re so ready to leave Florida. We’re like, ‘We’re going to do anything we can to stay at the tournament as long as we can so we don’t have to go back in that heat.'”

Defending champion Venus Williams begins her bid for a fifth Wimbledon title today when she faces wild card Naomi Cavaday of Britain.

Men – First Round

Roger Federer (1), SUI, def. Dominik Hrbaty, SVK, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

Novak Djokovic (3), SRB, def. Michael Berrer, GER, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.

David Ferrer (5), ESP, def. Sergiy Stakhovsky, UKR, 7-6 (6), 6-3, 1-3, retired.

Frank Dancevic, CAN, def. David Nalbandian (7), ARG, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.

Marcos Baghdatis (10), CYP, def. Steve Darcis, BEL, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3.

Tomas Berdych (11), CZE, def. Evgeny Korolev, RUS, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

Stanislas Wawrinka (13), SUI, def. Marcos Daniel, BRA, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5.

Fernando Gonzalez (15), CHI, def. Robby Ginepri, USA, 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-5.

Women – First Round

Ana Ivanovic (1), SRB, def. Rossana de Los Rios, PAR, 6-1, 6-2.

Svetlana Kuznetsova (4), RUS, def. Mathilde Johansson, FRA, 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-3.

Serena Williams (6), USA, def. Kaia Kanepi, EST, 7-5, 6-3.

Anna Chakvetadze (8), RUS, def. Stephanie Dubois, CAN, 2-6, 6-1, 8-6.

Marion Bartoli (11), FRA, def. Sabine Lisicki, GER, 6-2, 6-4.

Casey Dellacqua, AUS, def. Patty Schnyder (12), SUI, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.

Agnieszka Radwanska (14), POL, def. Iveta Benesova, CZE, 6-3, 6-0.

Agnes Szavay (15), HUN, def. Tathiana Garbin, ITA, 6-1, 6-3.