ROGER Federer and Serena Williams both won their first-round singles matches on a day temperatures soared at Wimbledon.
Swiss top seed Federer, who is 37 in August, began his bid for a record-extending ninth men’s title with a 6-1 6-3 6-4 win over Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic.

American Williams, 36, battled blustery conditions to reach the second round with a 7-5 6-3 victory over Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus.
British wildcard Katie Swan reached the second round for the first time as she beat world number 36 Irina-Camelia Begu 6-2 6-2.

A packed Centre Court was dominated by Federer fans – wearing branded hats and clothing, and faces painted with Swiss flags.
The world number two’s supporters were rewarded with a clinical performance by 20-time Grand Slam winner Federer, who needed just 79 minutes to see off Lajovic.

“I felt good from the start, which was not the case when I played him last year,” Federer told BBC Sport. “I felt at home.”
Seven-time champion Williams, playing her first match at the All England Club since 2016, did not quite progress so easily.

“I’m happy to get through that. I didn’t play my best but I will get there,” said Williams, who is returning after the birth of her first child.
Fourth and fifth seeds fall
US Open champion Sloane Stephens and fifth seed Elina Svitolina were the biggest casualties on the opening day.

American Stephens lost 6-1 6-3 to world number 55 Donna Vekic of Croatia while Svitolina fell to Germany’s world number 57 Tatjana Maria 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-1.
Five-time winner Venus Williams overcame a sluggish start to clinch a 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 6-1 victory over Sweden’s Johanna Larsson but second seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark only needed 59 minutes to beat American Varvara Lepchenko 6-0 6-3.

Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, the 2012 runner-up, then supplied the late night drama, saving six match points to beat Romanian qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3 4-6 7-5.
Men’s third seed Marin Cilic, the 2017 runner-up, eased to a comfortable 6-1 6-4 6-4 win over Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka, while three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, now ranked 224th because of injury, overcame sixth seed Grigor Dimitrov in four sets.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray withdrew from the tournament with a “heavy heart” on Sunday.

The 31-year-old Scot said it was “too soon” to play five-set matches after his comeback from hip surgery, so the British challenge in the tournament would have to come from elsewhere.
That baton was initially taken up by 19-year-old Swan, who defied her ranking of 204th in the world to claim an impressive straight-set victory against 27-year-old RomanianBegu in 56 minutes on Court 14.

Harriet Dart, 21, gave seventh seed Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic a scare but her Wimbledon debut ended in a 7-6 (7-2) 2-6 6-1 defeat.
Fellow wildcard Liam Broady was beaten 7-5 6-0 6-1 in straight sets in the men’s singles by Canada’s Milos Raonic while Slovenian Aljaz Bedene beat 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 Cameron Norrie in a gruelling match. (BBC Sport)