The Jamaica Star :: Sport :: Federer, Serena create fashion buzz at Wimbledon

Left: Men's defending singles champion, Switzerland's Roger Federer, waves to the crowd as walks on to Centre Court for his first-round match against Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia at Wimbledon, yesterday. Right: Former champion Serena Williams wears a belted raincoat while warming up for her women's singles, first-round match against Kaia Kanepi of Estonia. - ap photos

wimbledon, england (ap)

Wimbledon began with a few surprises yesterday. There was lots of sunshine, Serena Williams wore a raincoat anyway, and Roger Federer's changeover routine was interrupted by a friendly visit from his opponent.

The tennis went mostly as expected. Federer, Williams and new women's No. 1 Ana Ivanovic won in straight sets. Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic also eased into the second round.

The top-ranked Federer began his bid for a sixth consecutive Wimbledon title by winning the first match on Centre Court. Sporting a classy cardigan, he stepped onto the fresh grass promptly at 1 p.m. and looked eager to dispel the notion he's in decline, winning the first 11 points and beating former doubles partner Dominik Hrbaty 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

Breaking protocol

During a changeover one game from the finish, the 30-year-old Hrbaty broke with protocol by wandering over to the seated Federer.

"I looked over and there he was," Federer said. "He asked if he could sit next to me. I said, "Sure. There's no problem. There's an extra seat.' We go way back. ... He said it might be his last Wimbledon, so it was almost a little bit emotional."

Said Hrbaty: "If it had been someone else, I wouldn't have done it. ... We've had a lot of good times together. I just wanted to tell him he's a great friend of mine, and I appreciate that."

Federer extended his grass-court winning streak to 60 matches, including 35 at the All England Club, and yet his continuing domination is in doubt because he struggled the first half of the year.

That might help explain his prematch jitters.

"I did feel all of a sudden a little pressure about two minutes before I went on court," Federer said. "I felt like, "Wow, OK, here we go. Let's try to get off to a good start.' I did."

Regal as ever

He looked as regal as ever in his warm-up outfit, highlighted by a beige, four-button sweater with gold trim and a stylised F on the left breast.

But judging from post-match interviews, Federer was upstaged on the fashion front - perhaps a further sign he's in decline. His apparel inspired only one question, while Williams fielded five queries about the stylish white trenchcoat she wore on to court before beating Kaia Kanepi 7-5, 6-3.

A sample:

Q: Was that an effort to keep the rain away this year?

Williams: "I just love coats. I'm always buying Burberry coats. And I don't know why, because I live in Florida, so it doesn't really add up. Now I have a wonderful white coat I can wear on the court."

Q: It looked almost Carnaby Street-inspired. Was it a '60s retro look?

Williams: "It's definitely kind of retro-inspired - buckles on the wrist, the waistband tie. You can tie it or button it."

Q: It's not necessarily a piece of athletic attire. Did you have to get any special permission from the club to wear it?

Williams: "It's definitely not athletic attire. But it's ladylike, and I'm very ladylike. It goes perfect with my personality. ... It's just delectable."

There were only three questions about Williams' match, even though it provided a bit of drama when she faced a break point serving at 5-all in the first set.

Lusty swings

Kanepi, an Estonian who reached the French Open quarter- finals, takes lusty swings that often put two-time champion Williams on the defensive. But Williams endured the onslaught and took charge after Kanepi double-faulted to end the first set.

"Today definitely was not an easy match," Williams said. "She was playing unbelievable. I felt like she wasn't making any errors. I just felt like I just had to hang in there and stay positive."

Ivanovic played her first match as the No. 1 woman and French Open champion, and the 20-year-old Serb seemed comfortable in the new role, beating Rossana de Los Rios 6-1, 6-2.

Fellow Serb Djokovic bounced back from a bad set to beat Michael Berrer 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.

The highest-seeded player to lose was No. 7 David Nalbandian, eliminated by Frank Dancevic 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. Lleyton Hewitt, who beat Nalbandian in the 2002 final, fist-pumped his way to a five-set victory over Robin Haase.