World number one Novak Djokovic got his campaign for a third successive Wimbledon title off to a winning start with a 6-0, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 victory over Britain's James Ward.
The 29-year-old Serb, the holder of 12 Grand Slams after clinching a first French Open earlier this month, is on target for the tennis record books.
A fourth Wimbledon title would make him just the second man since Don Budge in 1938 to win five straight majors.
It would also put him three-quarters of the way to becoming the first since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete the calendar Grand Slam.
Top seed Djokovic, who holds all four majors, goes on to face France's Adrian Mannarino for a place in the last 32.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia shakes hands with James Ward of Britain after beating him during their men's singles match on day one of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Monday, June 27, 2016. (AP Photo)
Wimbledon Photo
Ana Ivanovic during her match against Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova. (Reuters Photo)
Former No. 1 Ivanovic stunned by No. 223 foe
Former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic blamed an injured right wrist for causing her problems during a surprising 6-2, 7-5 loss in Wimbledon's first round against a qualifier ranked 223rd and making her Grand Slam debut.
Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open champion who was seeded 23rd at the All England Club, was beaten by 21-year-old Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova on Monday.
Calling the exit "disappointing," Ivanovic said her wrist had been bothering her for two weeks. She said she plans to take time off and not play until the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August. Ivanovic thinks there is "enough time" for the wrist pain "to settle down" so she can represent Serbia at the Summer Games.
Ivanovic was a 2007 semifinalist at Wimbledon but has not made it past the fourth round since then, including second-round exits in 2013 and last year.
Five-time champion Venus Williams won her opening match at Wimbledon for the 17th time when she beat Donna Vekic of Croatia 7-6 (3), 6-4.
Vekic, who was 1 year old when Williams made her Wimbledon debut in 1997, had two set points in the first set serving at 6-5 but blew them both on errors. Williams ran through the tiebreaker.
In the second set, Vekic had a break chance for 5-3, but another unforced error squandered it.
Williams broke for 5-4 and served out in her 19th Wimbledon, a record among active players.
Lisicki Advances To Round 2
Former Wimbledon women's runner-up Sabine Lisicki advanced to the second round with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Shelby Rogers on the opening day at the All England Club.
Lisicki, the German who lost to Marion Bartoli in the 2013 final, took exactly one hour to beat the 62nd-ranked American.
Lisicki has fallen to No. 81 in the rankings but has a game suited to grass. Rogers has failed to get past the first round at Wimbledon in four appearances.
Duval Marks Comeback
Vicky Duval was back at Wimbledon on Monday, competing in the grass-court Grand Slam tournament for the first time in two years after recovering from Hodgkin lymphoma.
The 20-year-old, who is based in Bradenton, Florida, lost in the first round to 29th-seeded Daria Kasatkina of Russia 6-0, 7-5. Simply being on court was a symbolic step forward.
At the 2013 U.S. Open, when she was just 17, Duval showed her promise by stunning 2011 champion Sam Stosur in the first round. But a year later, while trying to qualify for Wimbledon, Duval was told she had cancer.
She played on, making it to the main draw and then surprisingly beating a seeded player, Sorana Cirstea.
After a yearlong recovery, Duval returned to playing low-level tournaments.
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