Record-breaker Roger on a roll

ROGER FEDERER penned another elegant page in the tennis record books while Andre Agassi overcame a bout of nerves to prolong his own Wimbledon story yesterday.

Triple defending champion Federer broke Bjorn Borg’s record for consecutive wins on grass with an authoritative 6-3 6-2 6-2 first round victory over Frenchman Richard Gasquet on Centre Court, his 42nd win in-a-row on his favourite surface.

Agassi, playing his last Wimbledon before retiring after the U.S. Open, overcame Serbian Boris Pashanski 2-6 6-2 6-4 6-3 and French Open champion Rafael Nadal beat Briton Alex Bogdanovic in three sets.

Women’s French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne lost only one game in her first round match against a hopelessly outclassed Yuan Meng of China and Swiss Martina Hingis also won easily on her return to the All England Club after a five-year absence.

Federer, who had led by a set overnight following rain-affected Monday, had shunned the idea of a special presentation to mark his achievement in surpassing Borg’s professional era record.

The Swiss world number one celebrated simply by slipping on the personalised cream jacket he is wearing on to court at Wimbledon this year and raising his racket to meet the crowd’s applause.

“I’m surprised myself I’ve kept it going for so long,” said Federer, adding that he believed Borg’s 1976-81 streak was more impressive than his because the Swede achieved his solely at Wimbledon.

“Achieving five Wimbledon wins and then reaching a sixth final is something beyond possibility for any player. So for me, he stays a hero,” said Federer .

The Swiss next faces Briton Tim Henman, who beat him at Wimbledon in the 2001 quarter-finals. Henman meandered to a 6-7 6-3 6-2 1-6 6-3 win over Swede Robin Soderling.

Agassi, who won the first of his eight grand slams at Wimbledon in 2002, earned an even bigger ovation than Federer when he walked on to Centre Court but looked all of his 36 years in the first set against Pashanski.

“I was bit lost out there in the first set, I was a little bit too nervous,” admitted Agassi, who announced his retirement timetable on Saturday.

The Las Vegan quickly warmed to his task, however, and out-hit the Serbian who finished the match with two miserable double-faults.

Nadal was not troubled overly either by his sore shoulder or British opponent Alex Bogdanovic in a 6-4 7-6 6-4 victory on Court One.

Henin-Hardenne blocked out the memory of her shock first round defeat by Greek Eleni Daniilidou last year with a ruthless 6-0 6-1 win over Yuan.

Hingis was also a shock first-round loser on her last Wimbledon appearance in 2001 but the 1997 champion was a set up overnight and was never troubled on the resumption, completing a 6-2 6-2 win over Ukrainian Olga Savchuk.

Belgian second seed Kim Clijsters had to fight harder before completing her unfinished business with Russian Vera Zvonareva 7-5 6-3.

Russia’s fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova and number 10 Nicole Vaidisova, the Czech 17-year-old she beat in the French Open semi-finals, had comfortable first round wins.

Swede Thomas Johansson was the first men’s seed to exit. The number 12 lost 3-6 7-6 6-1 6-1 to 34-year-old compatriot Jonas Bjorkman.

Men’s seeds David Nalbandian, American James Blake, Mario Ancic of Croatia and Czech Tomas Berdych all advanced relatively comfortably.

So too did Russian former world number one Marat Safin, a 6-4 6-4 6-4 winner over Greg Rusedski.

Rusedski’s compatriot Andy Murray was an assured 6-1 6-4 6-4 winner over Chile’s Nicolas Massu.