A Win, Then Tears For Serena Williams

Returning to Grand Slam tennis after a year away with health problems, Serena Williams opened her Wimbledon title defence yesterday by beating Aravane Rezai in three sets - then burst into tears on Centre Court.

After serving her 13th ace to close a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory, Williams buried her face in her towel and sobbed from her courtside chair. She was still crying as she left the court, overcome with emotion after enduring a long layoff that included two foot operations and treatment for blood clots in her lungs.

"I usually don't cry ... but it's just been so hard,'' the four-time Wimbledon champion said. "I never dreamt I would be here right now. And then to win. I just wanted to win at least one match here.''

Following Williams on Centre Court was Roger Federer, who began his chase for a record-equalling seventh Wimbledon championship by beating Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-2 in the wind.

Second-seeded Novak Djokovic, playing for the first time since his 43-match winning streak was stopped by Federer at the French Open, sailed into the second round with a 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Jeremy Chardy of France. Djokovic dropped only 11 points on serve.

Meanwhile, the sequel to the longest match in tennis history proved to be a quick, one-sided affair this time.

John Isner beat Nicolas Mahut 7-6 (4), 6-2, 7-6 (6) in just over two hours - a far cry from their 11-hour, 5-minute marathon over three days last year that Isner finally won 70-68 in the fifth set.

Other men's winners included three-time Wimbledon runner-up Andy Roddick and Juan Martin del Potro. Among the women, top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki made a strong start in her latest bid for her Grand Slam title, while former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic lost in the first round.

Williams' command

Williams fought through a midmatch slump, then reasserted command over her French opponent in the third set with a big serve and powerful groundstrokes. She showed why she is still considered a title favourite despite her long absence and her No. 7 seeding.

"It's been a disaster year, but I've been praying,'' Williams said. "To be able to come back at Wimbledon is pretty awesome. I didn't expect to play. And I didn't expect to even do anything. So I'm just excited. I've never cried with joy for anything.''

After losing the second set, Williams took charge in the final set, winning the last five games.

Federer never lost serve, saving all three break points, and won 29 of 31 of his points on serve in the first set. The third-seeded Swiss piled up 53 winners - 37 more than Kukushkin, who was making his Wimbledon debut.

Federer, a 16-time Grand Slam winner who lost in the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year, is looking to equal Pete Sampras' seven titles at the All England Club.

Roddick served 30 aces - including four in a row in one game - and beat German qualifier Andreas Beck 6-4, 7-6 (6), 6-3 to reach the second round.


Selected Wimbledon results

Men's singles: Gilles Simon (15), France, def. Edouard Roger-Vasselin, France, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (3). Ivo Karlovic, Croatia, def. Janko Tipsarevic (23), Serbia, 7-5, 3-1, retired. Juan Ignacio Chela (25), Argentina, def. Marinko Matosevic, Australia, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-2. Robin Haase, Netherlands, def. Pere Riba, Spain, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Juan Martin del Potro (24), Argentina, def. Flavio Cipolla, Italy, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3. Andy Roddick (8), United States, def. Andreas Beck, Germany, 6-4, 7-6 (6), 6-3. Ivan Ljubicic, Croatia, def. Marin Cilic (27), Croatia, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Fernando Verdasco (21), Spain, def. Radek Stepanek, Czech Republic, 2-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6), 9-7. Xavier Malisse, Belgium, def. Mischa Zverev, Germany, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. Roger Federer (3), Switzerland, def. Mikhail Kukushkin, Kazakhstan, 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-2. Bernard Tomic, Australia, def. Nikolay Davydenko (29), Russia, 7-5, 6-3, 7-5. David Ferrer (7), Spain, def. Benoit Paire, France, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Mikhail Youzhny (18), Russia, def. Juan Monaco, Argentina, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. Florian Mayer (20), Germany, def. Daniel Evans, Britain, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-4. Marcos Baghdatis (32), Cyprus, def. James Blake, United States, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 4-6, 6-4. David Nalbandian (28), Argentina, def. Julian Reister, Germany, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3. Novak Djokovic (2), Serbia, def. Jeremy Chardy, France, 6-4, 6-1, 6-1. Michael Llodra (19), France, def. James Ward, Britain, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3. Fernando Gonzalez, Chile, def. Alexandr Dolgopolov (22), Ukraine, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (3), 6-4. Nicolas Almagro (16), Spain, def. Jarkko Nieminen, Finland, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Lleyton Hewitt, Australia, def. Kei Nishikori, Japan, 6-1, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (7), 6-3. Robin Soderling (5), Sweden, def. Philipp Petzschner, Germany, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (5). John Isner, United States, def. Nicolas Mahut, France, 7-6 (4), 6-2, 7-6 (6). Yen-hsun Lu, Taiwan, def. Tommy Robredo, Spain, 6-4, 6-4, 6-1. Jurgen Melzer (11), Austria, def. Alejandro Falla, Colombia, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-2. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12), France, def. Go Soeda, Japan, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2. Andreas Haider-Maurer, Austria, def. Florent Serra, France, 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-3.

Women's singles first round: Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Spain, def. Jelena Jankovic (15), Serbia, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (14), Russia, def. Lesia Tsurenko, Ukraine, 6-4, 7-6 (3). Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, Czech Republic, def. Aleksandra Wozniak, Canada, 7-6 (7), 6-4. Marina Erakovic, New Zealand, def. Chang Kai-chen, Taiwan, 6-4, 6-2. Virginie Razzano, France, def. Sania Mirza, India, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3. Stephanie Dubois, Canada, def. Irina Falconi, United States, 6-2, 6-2. Simona Halep, Romania, def. Bojana Jovanovski, Serbia, 6-1, 6-2. Anne Keothavong, Britain, def. Naomi Broady, Britain, 6-2, 6-4. Petra Kvitova (8), Czech Republic, def. Alexa Glatch, United States, 6-2, 6-2. Petra Martic, Croatia, def. Vania King, United States, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. Nadia Petrova, Russia, def. Vesna Dolonts, Russia, 6-3, 6-4. Andrea Petkovic (11), Germany, def. Stephanie Foretz Gacon, France, 6-3, 6-4. Serena Williams (7), United States, def. Aravane Rezai, France, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Kateryna Bondarenko, Ukraine, def. Alize Cornet, France, 7-5, 6-2. Daniela Hantuchova (25), Slovakia, def. Vitalia Diatchenko, Russia, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3. Caroline Wozniacki (1), Denmark, def. Arantxa Parra Santonja, Spain, 6-2, 6-1. Victoria Azarenka (4), Belarus, def. Magdalena Rybarikova, Slovakia, 6-4, 3-2, retired. Belinda Czink, Hungary, def. Sam Stosur (10), Australia, 6-3, 6-4. Marion Bartoli (9), France, def. Kristyna Pliskova, Czech Republic, 6-0, 6-2. Maria Kirilenko (26), Russia, def. Alberta Brianti, Italy, 6-2, 6-1. Maria Sharapova (5), Russia, def. Anna Chakvetadze, Russia, 6-2, 6-1. Li Na (3), China, def. Alla Kudryavtseva, Russia, 6-3, 6-3.