Serena wins opening Wimbledon match

Serena Williams began the defense of her Wimbledon title with a comfortable first-round win yesterday, relying on an overpowering serve to beat 17-year-old Michelle Larcher de Brito 6-0, 6-4.



Williams won all 27 points on her first serve and hit 15 aces, the last on her final shot. As the crowd applauded her victory, Williams curtsied, mindful Queen Elizabeth II is expected to visit Wimbledon for the first time since 1977 tomorrow.



Williams plays her second-round match that day.



The queen may also get to see top-ranked Rafael Nadal, who advanced by beating Japanese wild card Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. It was Nadal\'s first match at Wimbledon since he became the 2008 champion; he missed last year\'s tournament because of knee tendinitis.



Number 4 Andy Murray, Number 9 David Ferrer and Number 10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also advanced.



Neither French Open women\'s finalist survived the first round. Runner-up Samantha Stosur, ranked a career-high sixth, lost to qualifier Kaia Kanepi 6-4, 6-4, while winner Francesca Schiavone was beaten Monday.



Maria Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion, needed only 54 minutes to beat Anastasia Pivovarova 6-1, 6-0. Number 3-seeded Caroline Wozniacki brushed aside Tathiana Garbin 6-1, 6-1.