Defending champion Serena Williams stuttered to a low-key and error-strewn 6-2 6-4 first-round victory over Swiss qualifier Amra Sadikovic yesterday.
Looking ill-at-ease, as though her quest for an elusive 22nd grand slam title was weighing heavily on her shoulders, Williams struggled with her serve and sprayed balls wide on both sides of the court.
She served three double faults in the fifth game of the first set.
It was Williams’s first match since she lost the French Open final to Garbine Muguruza earlier this month and the American should have had few problems against Sadikovic, ranked 148th in the world and with little main tour experience.
By turns urging herself on and telling herself off, Williams eventually secured match point when her opponent just missed a lob and sealed victory after challenging a wrong call when her shot landed on the far baseline.
Men’s second seed Andy Murray showed no mercy to fellow Briton Liam Broady as he launched his challenge with a straightforward 6-2 6-3 6-4 victory.
The day after British qualifier Marcus Willis, the world number 772, made the front and back pages by reaching the second round, 235th-ranked Broady was given the Centre Court spotlight but played a subservient role as Murray gave a masterclass.
Murray, the 2013 champion, had not faced a fellow Britain in 56 previous Wimbledon matches while two home players had not squared off at the All England Club for 15 years.
Murray admitted beforehand that it had felt “weird” but it was business as usual once play began as he broke his opponent twice to pocket the opening set in just 25 minutes.
Broady, still sporting the beard that caused a stir when he won a round last year, contributed to some eye-catching rallies but landed few telling blows as Murray raced away. Casting his eye skywards as dark clouds closed in, Murray was keen to finish the match off and he did so with a cute dropshot.
“He got better as the match went on,” Murray told the BBC.
“It was different, the atmosphere, but I just wanted to win.”
Murray next faces Lu Yen-Hsun, of Taiwan.
Stan Wawrinka met stiff resistance from American teenager Taylor Fritz before he finally asserted his dominance in a 7-6 6-1 6-7 6-4 first-round victory.
The Swiss fourth seed was far from his best, with his groundstrokes erratic, but his fearsome one-handed backhand and experience were enough to see off the 18-year-old making his tournament debut.
Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga carried the French flag into the second round with straight-sets wins over Britain’s Aljaz Bedene and Spain’s Inigo Cervantes.
Seventh seed Gasquet used his trademark backhand to good effect to see off the British number two 6-3 6-4 6-3, although both players pulled off strokes that were at times things of beauty during their baseline rallies.
Tsonga, back in action for the first time after retiring from the French Open with a groin injury, shook off the cobwebs of a close first few games to beat the Spaniard, ranked 75th in the world, 6-4 7-6 6-4.
Australian 15th seed Nick Kyrgios overcame the gritty challenge of Radek Stepanek by 6-4 6-3 6-7 6-1, foiling the Czech Republic player’s bid to become the oldest man to win a grand slam singles match in almost 25 years.