Federer Easily Wins First-Round Match at Wimbledon

Roger Federer swatted a stray ball toward a ball girl but misjudged the distance, and his leisurely lob bounced past her and over the backstop into a photo pit, drawing titters from the Wimbledon crowd.

Federer's first-round match was a laugher. Aside from the errant lob, he had few lapses and drubbed Spaniard Albert Ramos with stylish symmetry Monday, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1.

Consigned to Court 1, an unusual setting for a six-time champion, Federer played with his characteristic verve on grass. Ramos has never won a match on the surface, and it showed.

"Maybe he isn't the most experienced grass-court player out there, that's for sure," Federer said. "I was able to take advantage of it and play a very clean match. It's always nice to save energy, and it gives you confidence as well to close out matches easily. Things worked out perfectly."

The winner of a record 16 Grand Slam championships, Federer has gone two and a half years without one, and at age 30 he's eager to show he can still mount a title run. He has a chance to equal the Wimbledon record of seven titles set by William Renshaw in the 1880s and tied by Pete Sampras in 2000.

For the first time since 2003, Federer didn't play his opening-round match on Center Court. Seeded third behind Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, he declined to interpret the court assignment as a slight.

"I expected it," he said. "I figured if I won, they would have to put me on Centre Court. That's how I tried to understand the situation. I don't mind it.

"You want to get to Center Court. If you make it down the stretch, you will get your Center Court matches. But it was as nice on Court 1 today."

As defending champion, Djokovic opened on Center Court and beat former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. Nadal, a two-time Wimbledon champion, plays his first match Tuesday on Center Court against Thomaz Bellucci.

For Federer, the Court 1 stands were full, and lines formed outside as fans waited to replace departing spectators.

The crowd greeted Federer with a warm ovation.

"Absolutely special, because you do realize the moment you walk onto the court that it is a different place here than any other — just the respectful clapping, no music," he said. "The whole thing is very much focused on the players and on the sport, which is beautiful.

"Today obviously the court played perfectly. It was virtually brand new in terms of the way the grass was. That felt special in its own way."

Confident he would get a consistent bounce, Federer turned the match into a master class while deploying his full arsenal, which included pinpoint serves, curling forehands, deft half volleys and acrobatic overheads. He won 20-shot rallies and points lasting only as long as it took him to hit an ace.

Once Federer built a big lead, he experimented by charging the net often. He played 18 serve-and-volley points, once a common tactic at Wimbledon but a rarity these days.

"Obviously being up, you don't feel any pressure doing it," Federer said. "It's rare to be up in the scoreline like today on a regular basis. It is maybe why it is a good time to try it out. Then you can use it in tougher moments, difficult moments, to throw your opponents off. Who knows if I'll need it down the stretch? We'll see."

Federer's second-round opponent will be Fabio Fognini of Italy. He could face No. 8-seeded Janko Tipsarevic in the quarterfinals, followed by his two nemeses — Djokovic in the semifinals and Nadal in the final.

Elsewhere, marathon man John Isner faded at the finish of another five-setter Monday at Wimbledon.

The highest-ranked American failed to convert a match point in the fourth set and lost in the first round to Alejandro Falla of Colombia, 6-4, 6-7 (7), 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5.

Isner is best known for winning the longest match in tennis history two years ago in the first round at Wimbledon, when he edged Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in the fifth set. Isner also went five sets in the second round at the French Open last month, losing 18-16 to Paul-Henri Mathieu. He has been eliminated in five sets in each of the past three Grand Slams.

Since climbing to a career-best No. 9 in the rankings in mid-April, Isner has gone 3-5.

"I'm just really down on myself right now," he said. "I'm trying not to feel the outside pressure. There are some good things expected of me, and I'm glad I'm in that position, but I'm just not performing right now. It's just ugly right now."

The 6-foot-9 Isner hit 31 aces and said he has been pleased with his serve, but not the rest of his game.

"Sometimes, and lately it has happening quite a lot, I get out there in the match and I'm just so clouded," he said. "I just can't seem to figure things out. I'm my own worst enemy out there. It's all mental for me, and it's pretty poor on my part."

"I didn't put my opponent away," Isner said. "I had my chances, and I didn't do it. It's all on me."