Roger Federer, bidding for a fifth successive Wimbledon title, returned to a much-changed Centre Court left exposed to torrential rain and biting cold to ease into the second round on Monday.
But while the top seed was making short work of Russian debutant Teimuraz Gabashvili 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to register his 49th win in a row on grass courts, his Swiss compatriot, Martina Hingis, was given a huge scare by a player ranked 233 in the world.
”It was difficult. There was a constant breeze from one end,” said Federer in reference to the building work at the famed show court, which is now completely uncovered in readiness for a long-awaited retractable roof to be installed by 2009.
”I prefer the old Centre Court but it’s a work in progress.”
On Court Two, the so-called Graveyard of the Champions, Hingis marked the 10th anniversary of her first and only title triumph by almost suffering an embarrassing defeat.
The ninth seed had to save two match points against British wildcard Naomi Cavaday, playing in only her second Grand Slam match, before coming through with a 6-7 (1/7), 7-5, 6-0 win.
Hingis, who was the youngest champion of the Open era when she beat Jana Novotna as a 16-year-old in the 1997 final, will face Japan’s Aiko Nakamura for a third-round place.
But she had to fight hard to stay in the tournament and her lack of match-fitness, caused by not having played for six weeks after suffering a hip injury in Berlin six weeks ago, showed in the early stages.
She squandered three set points in the opener before the 19-year-old Cavaday began to tire after failing to convert her two match points in the 10th game of the second set.
Hingis, the ninth seed, then ran away with the tie, sealing the win with a dominant third set performance which was wrapped up in just 20 minutes.
”You couldn’t get any closer to losing than being two match points down,” said Hingis.
”But I had three set points in the first set and I was still serving. It’s not like she was serving it out.”
Federer, playing for the first time since his French Open final loss to Rafael Nadal, showed little sign of rustiness against Gabashvili in a 92-minute win watched by former world motorcycling champion Valentino Rossi.
The match was also notable for witnessing the first use of the Hawkeye video replay technology.
Hawkeye is being used here for the first time but only on Centre Court and Court One.
Top seed Federer, who is hoping to match Bjorn Borg’s five-in-a-row from 1976 to 1980, will now face either Argentinian teenager Juan Martin del Potro or Davide Sanguinetti of Italy.
Third seed Andy Roddick, fresh from a fourth Queen’s Club title, saw off fellow American Justin Gimelstob 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) and now meets Thailand’s Danai Udomchoke.
”It was tough early on in the first set, there was some slick out there and it was misting,” said Roddick reflecting on the difficult conditions, a legacy of the rain, which played havoc with the opening day schedule.
Over four hours of play were lost to rain on Monday but French Open champion Justine Henin, looking to win a first Wimbledon title, did her bit to hurry things along with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Argentinian qualifier Jorgelina Cravero in just 55 minutes.
She faces Russia’s Vera Dushevina in the next round while double champion Serena Williams enjoyed a rain-interrupted 7-5, 6-0 win over Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain and now takes on Australia’s Alicia Molik.
”I was extremely upset we had to go off at 3-3 — at that stage I thought we were definitely going to have to come back tomorrow [Tuesday],” said Williams, the 2002 and 2003 champion.
”I managed to raise my game on some points but it was not my best game. Out of ten it was maybe a two, if I’m lucky.”
British hopes, already subdued by the injury-enforced withdrawal of Andy Murray, were left on a knife-edge when veteran Tim Henman, a four-time semifinalist, was level with Spain’s Carlos Moya.
The match was two-sets apiece with the final set poised at 5-5 when play was halted because of bad light.
In a gripping encounter, Moya saved four match points in the 10th game of the decider.
Only 26 of the scheduled 64 matches were completed on Monday because of the rain. — Sapa-AFP