After trailing early, Federer rights himself

WIMBLEDON, England - Roger Federer thought Centre Court looked smashing, with its new retractable roof at the ready, all white fabric and steel trusses.

The fans at Wimbledon thought Federer looked smashing, too, with his new collar-up, military-style jacket and form-fitting tuxedo vest, all white with gold trim.

As for Federer's play yesterday at the All England Club?

After trailing by a break in the first set of his first match since winning the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam, Federer righted himself and beat Yen-hsun Lu of Taiwan, 7-5, 6-3, 6-2, to take the first step toward a record-breaking 15th major championship.

"Solid performance," Federer said. "It's funny: I actually didn't even think about it - I didn't have a grass-court match yet this year. It's something I completely forgot about."

Day 1 at Wimbledon featured only one upset of any significance: 17th-seeded James Blake of the U.S. lost in straight sets to 50th-ranked Andreas Seppi of Italy. Otherwise, No. 21 Feliciano Lopez was beaten by Karol Beck, 10-8 in the fifth set, while two seeded women lost, No. 21 Patty Schnyder and No. 23 Aleksandra Wozniak.

Past Wimbledon champions Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova reached the second round, as did No. 4 Novak Djokovic, No. 7 Fernando Verdasco, No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and No. 13 Robin Soderling, the runner-up to Federer at Roland Garros earlier this month.

Federer is No. 2 in the rankings and the Wimbledon seedings. That's in part because the last time he played on grass, 50 weeks ago, Federer lost to Rafael Nadal in the 2008 Wimbledon final, a 4-hour, 48-minute affair that, thanks to rain delays, finished in near-darkness.

Nadal managed to end Federer's 40-match winning streak at Wimbledon and record 65-match streak on grass. The Spaniard, as reigning champion, would have been accorded the honor of playing the opening Centre Court match this year. However, Nadal withdrew from the tournament Friday, citing sore knees, and for the first time since 1973, the previous year's runner-up - Federer - got things started.

"It's a very privileged spot, Monday, 1 p.m.," said Federer, who won has won five Wimbledon titles. "I know that Rafa deserves it, obviously, more than I do this year. But somebody had to do it, so I'm very happy that they chose me, of course. Yeah, gets your heart beating, that's for sure."

Federer won the first nine points on his serve, but he failed to convert four break points in the match's fourth game, then dumped a backhand into the net to get broken and fall behind, 3-2.

"I knew the danger today," Federer said. "He's beaten good players."

Federer showed up for yesterday's appointment in a getup that he called "a little bit more modern look," topped by a jacket replete with epaulettes, pockets on the sleeve and a golden zipper. When he removed it after the coin toss, revealing his vest, some spectators whistled and catcalled.

The vest eventually came off, too, as did the long white trousers he wore for warm-ups.

Williams, the 2002-03 champion and runner-up to her sister Venus a year ago, made her own fashion statement, wearing a trenchcoat onto Centre Court.

"I just thought it was going to rain," Williams said after defeating 154th-ranked qualifier Neuza Silva of Portugal, 6-1, 7-5. "I thought, 'Well, if it rains, then I'll still play.' "

No wet weather arrived, though, and the first closing of Wimbledon's brand new roof will wait for another day.

Seedings in parentheses.

MEN'S SINGLES

First Round: Andreas Seppi, Italy, def. James Blake (17), United States, 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (5). Philipp Kohlschreiber (27), Germany, def. Florent Serra, France, 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-4. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Spain, def. Agustin Calleri, Argentina, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. Ivo Minar, Czech Republic, def. Maximo Gonzalez, Argentina, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-0. Marc Gicquel, France, def. Adrian Mannarino, France, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.

Roger Federer (2), Switzerland, def. Yen-hsun Lu, Taiwan, 7-5, 6-3, 6-2. Mardy Fish (28), United States, def. Sergio Roitman, Argentina, 6-3, 6-2, 4-1, retired. Nicolas Almagro, Spain, def. Juan Monaco, Argentina, 6-7 (3), 6-7 (7), 7-6 (5), 6-4, 8-6. Karol Beck, Slovakia, def. Feliciano Lopez (21), Spain, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 10-8. Dudi Sela, Israel, def. Santiago Gonzalez, Mexico, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3.

Marcel Granollers, Spain, def. Andreas Beck, Germany, 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2. Janko Tipsarevic, Serbia, def. Jan Hernych, Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (4). Robin Soderling (13), Sweden, def. Gilles Muller, Luxembourg, 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-1, 6-2. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (9), France, def. Andrey Golubev, Kazakhstan, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5). Simone Bolelli, Italy, def. Daniel Koellerer, Austria, 6-7 (3), 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4.

Vince Spadea, United States, def. Paul Capdeville, Chile, 6-0, 6-4, 7-5. Guillermo Canas, Argentina, def. Diego Junqueira, Argentina, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. Rainer Schuettler (18), Germany, def. Xavier Malisse, Belgium, 6-7 (9), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-1. Kristof Vliegen, Belgium, def. Nicolas Mahut, France, 6-3, 7-6 (6), 5-7, 5-7, 6-4. Igor Andreev (29), Russia, def. Evgeny Korolev, Russia, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4, 7-6 (4).

Stefan Koubek, Austria, def. Edouard Roger-Vasselin, France, 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3. Simon Greul, Germany, def. Michael Yani, United States, 6-4, 6-2, 7-5. Tommy Robredo (15), Spain, def. Luka Gregorc, Slovenia, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (3). Fernando Verdasco (7), Spain, def. James Ward, Britain, 6-1, 6-3, 6-4. Ivo Karlovic (22), Croatia, def. Lukas Lacko, Slovakia, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3. Steve Darcis, Belgium, def. Frank Dancevic, Canada, 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Novak Djokovic (4), Serbia, def. Julien Benneteau, France, 6-7 (8), 7-6 (1), 6-2, 6-4. Marin Cilic (11), Croatia, def. Alberto Martin, Spain, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Sam Querrey, United States, def. Danai Udomchoke, Thailand, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Albert Montanes (32), Spain, def. Grega Zemlja, Slovenia, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Michael Llodra, France, vs. Joshua Goodall, Britain, 4-6, 7-6 (5), susp., darkness. Tommy Haas (24), Germany, leads Alexander Peya, Austria, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (0), 6-3, 4-4, susp., darkness.

WOMEN'S SINGLES

First Round: Daniela Hantuchova, Slovakia, def. Laura Robson, Britain, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (31), Russia, def. Petra Cetkovska, Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-2. Zheng Jie (16), China, def. Kristina Barrois, Germany, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4). Regina Kulikova, Russia, def. Karolina Sprem, Croatia, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. Gisela Dulko, Argentina, def. Stephanie Foretz, France, 6-3, 7-5.

Sania Mirza, India, def. Anna-Lena Groenefeld, Germany, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2. Sorana Cirstea (28), Romania, def. Edina Gallovits, Romania, 7-5, 6-1. Alisa Kleybanova (27), Russia, def. Sesil Karatantcheva, Kazakhstan, 6-2, 7-5. Maria Sharapova (24), Russia, def. Viktoriya Kutuzova, Ukraine, 7-5, 6-4. Victoria Azarenka (8), Belarus, def. Severine Bremond Beltrame, France, 6-2, retired.

Urszula Radwanska, Poland, def. Masa Zec Peskiric, Slovenia, 6-3, 6-3. Shahar Peer, Israel, def. Maria Elena Camerin, Italy, 6-2, 7-6 (3). Ioana Raluca Olaru, Romania, def. Nathalie Dechy, France, 1-6, 7-6 (0), 6-2. Roberta Vinci, Italy, def. Magdalena Rybarikova, Slovakia, 6-3, 6-2. Jarmila Groth, Australia, def. Lucie Safarova, Czech Republic, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Dominika Cibulkova (14), Slovakia, def. Julie Coin, France, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Serena Williams (2), United States, def. Neuza Silva, Portugal, 6-1, 7-5. Nadia Petrova (10), Russia, def. Anastasiya Yakimova, Belarus, 6-1, 6-1. Francesca Schiavone, Italy, def. Aleksandra Wozniak (23), Canada, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. Michelle Larcher de Brito, Portugal, def. Klara Zakopalova, Czech Republic, 6-2, 7-5. Virginie Razzano (26), France, def. Tamira Paszek, Austria, 6-0, 3-1, retired.

Timea Bacsinszky, Switzerland, def. Vesna Manasieva, Russia, 6-1, 4-6, 8-6. Aravane Rezai, France, def. Ayumi Morita, Japan, 6-2, 6-2. Elena Dementieva (4), Russia, def. Alla Kudryavtseva, Russia, 6-4, 6-1. Jill Craybas, United States, def. Tsvetana Pironkova, Bulgaria, 6-4, 7-5. Elena Vesnina, Russia, def. Yanina Wickmayer, Belgium, 6-1, 6-1.

Marion Bartoli (12), France, def. Chan Yung-jan, Taiwan, 6-0, 6-0. Ai Sugiyama, Japan, def. Patty Schnyder (21), Switzerland, 6-4, 6-4. Arantxa Parra Santonja, Spain, def. Tamarine Tanasugarn, Thailand, 6-4, 6-4. Mathilde Johansson, France, def. Melanie South, Britain, 7-5, 7-6 (5). Vera Zvonareva (7), Russia, vs. Georgie Stoop, Britain, 7-6 (0), 4-6, susp., darkness. Vera Dushevina, Russia, leads Alize Cornet (22), France, 3-6, 6-0, 4-2, susp., darkness.