IMAGES FROM DAY 2 at Wimbledon:
Late birthday present for Kuznetsova
Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova got a late birthday present under Wimbledon's centre court roof on Tuesday with a 7-5, 6-4 win over former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, who is projected to drop out of the top 50 with the defeat.
The veteran 13th seed's power undid the Dane, who had been seeking her first win at a Grand Slam this year after being dumped out of the Australian Open in the first round and missing Roland Garros due to injury.
The WTA women's tour said the 25-year-old, rated the best in the world in 2010 and 2011, could drop as low as 59, depending on other results, when the new rankings are released the day after the men's final.
Coming into the tournament ranked 45 after injuries to her ankle, knee and wrist, it was the first time Wozniacki, 25, had been unseeded at a major since the 2008 Australian Open and she was visibly gloomy after the match.
"It kind of just sucks right now to be out of the tournament. Yeah, there's not really much else to say," she told reporters.
"It's been a tough year in general. It's been some injuries, it's been some bad draws.
"But, you know, you just have to keep fighting ...and hope eventually that's going to turn and you're going to take the chances you're going to get."
The crowd was willing the Dane to take the match into a third set as former world number two Kuznetsova, who turned 31 on Monday, tightened up and looked like she might fritter away her lead.
But the Russian regrouped to serve out the match with a love game as Wozniacki sailed the ball long off her forehand.
"She stepped up ... I got a bit tense and rushed a bit," Kuznetsova said of her late wobble as the pair played on protected by the roof when all other matches were abandoned due to rain.
"It was my first experience of playing with the roof closed, the first time, it was really nice," she said, adding she was happy not to have had to play on her on birthday.
Serena toils to scrappy win in opener
Defending champion Serena Williams stuttered to a low-key and error-strewn 6-2, 6-4 first-round victory over Swiss qualifier Amra Sadikovic.
Looking ill-at-ease, as though her quest for an elusive 22nd Grand Slam title was weighing heavily on her shoulders, Williams struggled with her serve and sprayed balls wide on both sides of the court. She served three double faults in the fifth game of the first set.
It was Williams's first match since she lost the French Open final to Garbine Muguruza this month and the American should have had few problems against Macedonian-born Sadikovic, ranked 148th in the world and with little main tour experience.
By turns urging herself on and telling herself off, Williams eventually secured match point when her opponent just missed a lob and sealed victory after challenging a wrong call when her shot landed on the far baseline.
No sentiment as Murray beats fellow Brit Broady
Second seed Andy Murray showed no mercy to fellow Britain Liam Broady as he launched his Wimbledon challenge with a straightforward 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 victory.
The day after British qualifier Marcus Willis, the world number 772, made the front and back pages by reaching the second round, 235th-ranked Broady was given the Centre Court spotlight but played a subservient role as Murray gave a masterclass.
Murray, the 2013 champion, had not faced a fellow Britain in 56 previous Wimbledon matches while two home players had not squared off at the All England Club for 15 years.
The 29-year-old admitted beforehand that it had felt "weird" but it was business as usual once play began as he broke twice to pocket the opening set in 25 minutes.
Broady, still sporting the beard that caused a stir when he won a round last year, contributed to some eye-catching rallies but landed few telling blows as Murray raced away.
Murray did not have things all his own way in the third set but as dark clouds closed in, he was clearly keen to finish the match off and he did so with a cute dropshot.
"I hit the ball pretty clean today. I think offensively I was good. Felt like I could have moved a little bit better. I didn't defend as well as usual," Murray, who has never lost to a player ranked lower than Broady, told reporters.
"For a first match, to get it done in three sets is good."
Murray's next opponent, Lu Yen-hsun of Taiwan, might be a little tougher, according to the Scot.
"He's played the three grasscourt challengers in the buildup. He's won two of them and lost in the final of one," Murray warned. "He's made the quarters at this event before, beat (Andy) Roddick once. He plays well on the grass."
Entertainer Brown turns on the style
Dreadlocked German Dustin Brown was back treating Wimbledon crowds to his unique brand of swashbuckling tennis on Tuesday, winning a quickfire five-setter against Serbia's Dusan Lajovic.
Serving and volleying and whipping balls out of the air as he did when stunning twice-champion Rafael Nadal in the second round 12 months ago, Brown took just two hours eight minutes to claim a 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
It took him a while to find his range, but after a deafening fire alarm sounded across the outside courts, Brown woke up and outclassed Lajovic with some inspired shot-making.
He can be virtually guaranteed a stadium court for his second round on Thursday when he faces close friend and fellow maverick Nick Kyrgios in a match that promises fireworks.
"Obviously I knew if both of us win, we could play each other," Brown told reporters. "We played IPTL (International Premier Tennis League) together, he's a really nice guy. We are friends. We'll go out and have fun and play good tennis."
Brown, ranked 85, was handed a wildcard by the organisers and he more than justified his invite in front of a packed crowd on Court 16 -- breaking for a 4-1 lead in the fourth set and then streaking through the decider in 27 minutes.
One minute crunching a backhand, the next feathering a deft drop volley, Brown went through his full repertoire.
Of the 138 points he won, 55 were at the net.
"In the beginning there was not a lot of rhythm for me volleying," he said. "Returns were going all over the place, and then suddenly he started connecting with a few.
"The most important was just to stay calm and keep playing, knowing this is my surface, that I can win this match no matter how long it goes."
Kyrgios overcomes gritty Czech veteran Stepanek
Australian 15th seed Nick Kyrgios overcame the gritty challenge of Radek Stepanek, winning 6-4, 6-3, 6-7(9), 6-1, foiling the Czech player's bid to become the oldest man to win a Grand Slam singles match in almost 25 years.
After the players exchanged breaks of serve early on -- the Australian playing a lax seventh game to concede his -- Kyrgios made the decisive break of the first set in the tenth game.
Kyrgios took the second on a single break and had the chance to wrap things up in straight sets when he served for the match at 5-4.
But the Czech, at 37 Kyrgios's senior by 16 years, broke back and took the third set in a marathon tie-break 11-9, luring Kyrgios to the net with one of many drop shot before passing him with a cross-court forehand.
That burst of energy seemed to tire the Czech, and Kyrgios -- who next plays Germany's unseeded Dustin Brown -- stormed through the fourth set with two further breaks of serve to wrap up victory in two hours and 26 minutes.
