Defending champion Roger Federer marked the start of his 20th successive Wimbledon with a new look and a comfortable 6-1 6-3 6-4 win over Serbia's Dusan lajovic here on Monday.
Top seed Federer marched out on Centre Court dressed for the first time in gear designed by Japanese giant Uniqlo in a deal reported to be worth USD 300 million after a two-decade association with Nike.
But everything else was familiar for the 36-year-old eight-time champion as the Swiss cruised past world number 57 lajovic in just 79 minutes.
It was the second successive year that Federer had knocked out the Serb at Wimbledon.
After just 20 minutes to complete the first set, Federer went on to fire 35 winners past lajovic, breaking serve five times, setting up a second round encounter against either lukas lacko of Slovakia or French qualifier Benjamin Bonzi.
SERENA THROUGH TO RD 2
Serena Williams needed six match points to finish off a 7-5, 6-3 win over Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands and reach the second round of Wimbledon.
Williams broke for a 5-3 lead in the second set and led 40-15 when serving for the match, but Rus saved the first two match points and then another three after reaching deuce. However, Rus finally sent a shot into the net to give Williams a winning return to the All England Club.
The seven-time champion missed last year's tournament while pregnant.
CIlIC ADVANCES
Third seed Cilic enjoyed a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win over Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka. Cilic, who won the Wimbledon warm-up event at Queen's Club last month, fired 21 aces and 44 winners past his 259th-ranked opponent.
He will face either Australian qualifier Jason Kubler or Guido Pella or Argentina for a place in the last 32.
SlOANE SlIPS
US Open champion and fourth seed Sloane Stephens became the tournament's first big name casualty when she slumped to a 6-1 6-3 loss to Croatia's world 55 Donna Vekic.
For Stephens, fresh from making the French Open final last month, it was her second successive first round loss at the tournament.
WAWRINKA BEATS DIMITROV
Stan Wawrinka defeated sixth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5), 6-4 to claim just his second Grand Slam victory since last year's Wimbledon.
The three-time Grand Slam champion missed the second half of 2017 after knee surgery and has struggled to regain form since returning at the Australian Open in January.
Having been forced to take another three-month break at the end of February, Wawrinka's ranking had fallen to 225 coming into Wimbledon.