Nadal makes winning return at Wimbledon

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LONDON - The 2008 champion Rafael Nadal made an emphatic winning return to Wimbledon after missing last year through injury as the Spanish second seed crushed Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 to power into the second round Tuesday.

Nadal, whose win at the grass-court Grand Slam interrupted a five- year trophy run by Roger Federer, has not lost at the All England club since 2007.

His first-round match played in brilliant sunshine was something of a homecoming, with the five-time French Open winner showing he has successfully shifted his game onto grass.

Nadal remains on track to repeat the French Open-Wimbledon double this year after doing so in 2008. The Spaniard will next face Dutchman Robin Haase, a winner over injured American James Blake 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.

“It was a very special moment to come back to the nicest Centre Court in the world,” said the tactful Nadal, five times a champion on the clay of Roland Garros. “I’m glad to be back.”

“The crowd is always amazing with me, they make me feel like home.”

The world number one who takes the second seeding behind Federer based on grass merit, went through in just over two hours, producing eight aces and only 16 unforced errors.

The match was his first since losing a Queen’s quarter-final a little more than a week ago, then decompressing for a long weekend at home on the island of Mallorca.

“The change from clay to grass is an important one,” said Nadal. “You have to adapt and adjust your game. I love the grass but it’s not easy with my game to play on it, But I have done well on the surface.

Fellow Spanish seed David Ferrer, the number nine, put out German Nicolas Kiefer 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 while French tenth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga stopped American Robert Kendrick 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 6-4.

There was victory for Russian number 13 Mikhail Youzhny against Israeli Dudi Sela 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2).

Martin Fischer of Austria stopped Japan’s Go Soeda 6-4, 6-3, 6-1.

In the women’s draw, top-seeded holder Serena Williams polished her record in Grand Slam first round matches to an impeccable 43-0 with a 6-0, 6-4 defeat of Michelle Larcher De Brito.

The 148th-ranked youngster, known for her ferocious screams on each shot, game Williams a minor workout.

“She doesn’t look it, but she definitely packs a punch,” said the seed. “It was good for me because most people that do play nowadays hit really hard. It was good to get someone that hit really hard early on.”

Williams, the world number one, improved to 58-2 against players ranked outside the Top 100 as she advanced over number Larcher De Brito.

The only Williams losses against rank outsiders came against number 127 Sun Tiantian (2005 Beijing) and number 149 Anne Smith in the first match of her career (1995 Quebec, qualifying).

Larcher De Brito saved a match point, holding serve to trail 6-0, 5-4. But Williams then served it out to reach the second round by a comfortable margin, lifting her record to 51-7 at Wimbledon where she also won titles in 2002 and 2003.

A day after the departure of French Open winner Francesca Schiavone of Italy, losing Paris finalist Samantha Stosur made her first-round exit, going out to Kaia Kanepi 6-4, 6-4.

“I didn’t play as well as I know that I can today,” said the Australian sixth seed. “She served very well. I didn’t serve as well as her and I think that hurt me.

“It’s definitely a long few months through Europe (on clay). But that’s all part and parcel with doing well.”

Two more seeds also moved through as number seven Pole Agnieszka Radwanska defeated Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-3, 6-3 and number ten Italian Flavia Pennetta overwhelmed Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-4, 6-0.