London, Jun 25: Back in her comfort zone on Centre Court, Serena Williams delivered an overpowering statement: When her serve is clicking, she's the woman to beat at Wimbledon.
Putting aside her recent comments that led to a couple of apologies and a brief spat with Maria Sharapova, Williams looked every bit the five-time champion. She began her Wimbledon title defense with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Mandy Minella of Luxembourg.
"For me, it's the greatest moment for a tennis player, to walk out on Centre Court," Williams said after her first match at Wimbledon since winning the Olympic gold medal there last year. "That was such a great moment, too. So many great memories on this court."
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic also opened his campaign with a straight-sets victory, beating Florian Mayer of Germany 6-3, 7-5, 6-4. Mayer is a two-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist, losing to Djokovic at that stage last year. But he was never in danger of springing another stunner following Rafael Nadal's first-round exit a day earlier.
Djokovic took a 3-0 lead in the first set and broke for a 6-5 lead in the second to take control. He served out the match to love before saluting the Centre Court crowd with a fist pump.
"It was a big pleasure again performing here on Centre Court in front of the packed crowd," Djokovic said. "For the first round, it was tricky. ... I think (Mayer's) game is really well suited for grass, so it took a lot of effort."
For Williams, this was a chance to put the focus back on tennis following the verbal jousting with Sharapova over their private lives - and comments about an Ohio rape case for which she had to apologize - and she took full advantage.
As usual on grass, the top-ranked Williams dominated with her hard serve, winning the first set without dropping a point on her service game. Her main weapon let her down only at the start of the second set, when Minella took a 2-0 lead after Williams double-faulted on break point.
She was one point from going down 3-0 but then won 15 of the next 18 points to take a 4-2 lead, and broke again to wrap up the victory.
"I feel like I was a little rusty for some reason today," Williams said. "I don't feel like I played my best. I felt really upset when I lost my serve in the second set. With that being said, I think Mandy played really well. I thought she was really mixing up her shots, mixing up her game. It wasn't an easy match for me. I'm a little excited I was able to play a tough match and to get through it."
Much of the pre-tournament talk was about Williams and Sharapova, the two top players in the game who are on opposite sides of the draw and can't meet before the final.
"It hasn't been a distraction. Like I said, I'm just here to focus on the tennis," Williams said. "I'm just here to play Wimbledon. It's the premier tournament in the world, of the year, so that's what's most important. ... We're playing on opposite days, so we don't really see each other."
Williams improved her career record to 68-8 at the All England Club and extended her career-best winning streak to 32 matches, which included her second French Open title.
"I don't think about it," Williams said, referring to her streak. "Every single time I step out on the court it's a new match."
Kimiko Date-Krumm, the 42-year-old Japanese veteran, had an even easier time getting past an opponent. She needed just 44 minutes to complete a romp over Carina Witthoeft, an 18-year-old German less than half her age and making her Grand Slam debut.
Date-Krumm is the second-oldest player to win a match at Wimbledon after Martina Navratilova, who was 47 when she reached the second round in 2004.
Sixth-seeded Li Na of China also cruised into the second round, beating Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands 6-1, 6-1.
Nadal, a two-time Wimbledon champion, was knocked out in straight sets by 135th-ranked Steve Darcis of Belgium on Monday - the Spaniard's first loss in the opening round of any Grand Slam event.
In contrast, most early matches on Tuesday went according to plan.
Eighth-seeded Juan Martin Del Potro made a winning return to Grand Slam competition, defeating Albert Ramos of Spain 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 after sitting out the French Open because of respiratory problems. No. 12 Kei Nishikori of Japan and No. 13 Tommy Haas of Germany won in straight sets, but No. 16 Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany wasted a two-set lead against Ivan Dodig of Croatia and then had to retire in the fifth, citing the flu.
James Blake of the U.S. ended a five-match Wimbledon losing streak by beating 93rd-ranked Thiemo De Bakker of the Netherlands 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 in the first round Tuesday.
The 33-year-old Blake, a former top-five player currently ranked 87th, reached the second round at the All England Club for the first time since 2008. He lost his opening matches at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament each of the past four years.
Blake's best Wimbledon showings were reaching the third round in 2006 and 2007.
Bernard Tomic, whose father is barred from tour tournaments because of an assault case, defeated 21st-seeded Sam Querrey in five sets Tuesday to reach the second round of Wimbledon.
The 20-year-old Tomic, Australia's most promising player, won 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3), 3-6, 2-6, 6-3 after withstanding a flurry of 36 aces by the American.
Tomic's father and coach, John Tomic, may not attend Wimbledon, even as a paying spectator. He also was barred from the French Open. John Tomic has been charged in Spain with assaulting his son's hitting partner before the Madrid Open.
A Madrid court has postponed John Tomic's case until October. He is accused of head-butting Thomas Drouet near their hotel before the tournament.
Laura Robson became the first British woman to defeat a top-10 player at Wimbledon in 15 years when she upset 10th-seeded Maria Kirilenko 6-3, 6-4 Tuesday in the first round of the grass-court tournament.
The 19-year-old Robson followed in the footsteps of Sam Smith, who upset No. 7 Conchita Martinez in 1998.
After wrapping up the match with a forehand winner, Robson said "it was nerve-wracking before I served for it. I just wanted to focus and take it point by point. Any big win gives you a lot of confidence."
