The sun was out and so, almost, was the top male seed as Wimbledon fortnight opened today with what was very nearly one of the most dramatic upsets in the tournament's history.
The SW19 staples were there – strawberries, queues, British female talent foundering at the first hurdle. But those expecting a day of comfortable top-seed victories were treated instead to a Centre Court thriller which Swiss defending champion Roger Federer came close to losing.
The six-time champion, regarded by many as the best player of all time, lost the first two sets to the 26-year-old Colombian Alejandro Falla, ranked 60 in the world.
The 28-year-old world No 2 needed 3 hours 18 minutes to grind down his opponent, though after a heroic early performance the Colombian was well beaten by the end, failing to win a game in the final set.
"I have lost many matches this year I should have won. This is one I should have lost," Federer said on leaving the court.
Outside Centre Court, everything else seemed to be in good Wimbledon order, with this year's tournament lent a little extra frisson with a visit by the Queen on Thursday, her first for 33 years. Andy Murray, again Britain's only realistic hope of success, moved to dispel rumours that he might not bow to Her Majesty.
In a message on Twitter, Murray – who plays Czech Jan Hajek, 26, today – said: "A few stories about me not bowing to the Queen if I play in front of her. Not the case, would be an honour and privilege, of course I'll bow." Security is to be beefed up for the royal visit.
Not practising their curtsey, however, will be Brits Elena Baltacha, 26, and Melanie South, 24, who were swiftly dispatched. Baltacha, Britain's No 1, served for the match in the second set before losing to Croatian Petra Martic, 19. South, who received a wildcard, went out to Russian Regina Kulikova in straight sets.
There was disappointment, too, for Laura Robson, 16, who lost in straight sets despite a spirited performance.
Robson, the 2008 junior Wimbledon champion, whose comments to a magazine on some of her female opponents being "sluts" will not have endeared her on the circuit, lost in two sets to the fourth seed, Serbia's Jelena Jankovic, 25.
Of her Centre Court debut Robson, the youngest player in the tournament, said: "I thought it was going to be a lot more overwhelming. But the court's not as big as it seems on TV. It was good there were lots of people cheering me on." She felt she had played well, but Jankovic was "No 4 in the world for a reason".
As a first round contender Robson will receive £11,250 in prize money. It total her career prize money to date before yesterday's exit was £56,000 . But, she revealed, she still hasn't seen any of it, saying her parents had put it somewhere where she couldn't access it.
Katie O'Brien's three-set defeat at the hands of the Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko bought to four the number of British female players who lost on the first day. Britain's two remaining female contenders, Heather Watson and Anne Keothavong, will play today.
History was made when, on the longest day of the year, Wimbledon saw its latest ever finish. With the Centre Court roof in place, Serbian Novak Djokovic sealed a five-set win over Belgian Olivier Rochus just two minutes before 11pm.
