Nadal, Serena cruise

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Rafael Nadal launched his bid to regain the Wimbledon title by crushing Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of the men’s singles on Tuesday.
Earlier, defending women’s champion Serena Williams silenced scream queen Michelle Larcher de Brito with a 6-0, 6-4 win.

It is 12 months since Serena beat her sister Venus in the fourth all-Williams Wimbledon final and little has changed to suggest a different name will be on the trophy this year.
Venus was barely troubled by Rossana De Los Rios in her opening match on Monday and Serena, who plays Anna Chakvetadze in the second round after the Russian’s 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Andrea Petkovic, looks in the mood to win the singles’ title here for a fourth time.
She won the first eight games of the match and attributed her fast start to an improved serve.
Elsewhere in the women’s singles, French Open runner-up Sam Stosur slumped out as the Australian was humbled 6-4, 6-4 by Estonian qualifier Kaia Kanepi.
Polish seventh seed Agnieszka Radwanska swept to a 6-3, 6-3 win over Hungary’s Melinda Czink.
Former French and US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 19th seed from Russia, cruised to a 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4 victory against Uzbekistan’s Akgul Amanmuradova.
Britain’s Anne Keothavong blew a 4-1 lead in the final set as Australia’s Anastasia Rodionova came back to win 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 and earn a clash with Kuznetsova.
Italy’s Flavia Pennetta beat Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-4, 6-0 and Chinese 23rd seed Zheng Jie eased past France’s Pauline Parmentier 7-5, 6-4.
David Ferrer, the Spanish ninth seed, routed Nicolas German wild card Kiefer 6-4, 6-2, 6-3.
French 10th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ground out a 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 6-4 win over America’s Robert Kendrick.
Djokovic's marathon
Third seed Novak Djokovic came from behind twice to beat Olivier Rochus in five sets in the latest ever finish at Wimbledon. Djokovic with a 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Belgian Rochus in a tie which finished at 22:58 local time.
Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt came back from a set down to defeat Argentina’s Maximo Gonzalez 5-7, 6-0, 6-2, 6-2.
Andy Roddick cruised into the second round with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over fellow American Rajeev Ram.
Mankad exits
India’s Harsh Mankad partnering Serbian Ilija Bozoljac lost in the opening round of the men’s doubles event. The Argentine duo of Juan Ignacio Chela and Eduardo beat the Indo-Serbian duo 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. — AFP