Nadal, Serena up and running at Wimbledon

Rafa Nadal needed a few games to adjust his sights for grasscourt combat at Wimbledon but Serena Williams quickly found her range as the two former champions moved safely into the second round on Tuesday.

Spaniard Nadal, looking to reclaim the title he won in 2008 and 2010, found himself 4-0 down against Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci on Centre Court before a barrage of heavy hitting took him to a 7-6 6-2 6-3 victory in two hours 15 minutes.

Williams, the day after her sister Venus was bundled out in the first round, restored family honor with a 6-2 6-4 defeat of battling Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.

Home favorite Andy Murray, the last member of the men's 'big four' to get the grass under his feet this week, also impressed, thrashing Russia's former world number three Nikolay Davydenko for the loss of six games.

Wildcard Lleyton Hewitt, the 2002 champion, lost 6-3 6-4 6-4 to French fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and 20th seed Bernard Tomic's surprise 3-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 defeat by Belgian wildcard David Goffin made it a bad day for Australian men who will not have a second-round survivor for the first time since 1938.

Women's defending champion Petra Kvitova had the honor of opening Centre Court proceedings on what is traditionally Ladies Day at the All England Club.

Like Nadal, she also took a while to find her rhythm before beating Uzbekistan's Akgul Amanmuradova 6-4 6-4 in a low-key match interrupted by the first raindrops of the week.  -  Reuters