Nadal aiming for easy progress

Rafael Nadal launches his Wimbledon campaign today hoping to plot a less precarious route into the second round than arch-rival Roger Federer.

Nadal meets Kei Nishikori of Japan on Centre Court a day after watching defending champion Federer flirt with disaster against Alejandro Falla of Colombia.

World number 60 Falla took the opening two sets and then had three break points to put himself in position to serve for the match before succumbing 5-7 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7/1) 6-0.

Federer meets Serbian Ilija Bozoljac in the next round and is hoping for a more comfortable match.

"I've got to be realistic and there was a big threat against Falla. I got lucky," said Federer.

"It's important to take the right things out of the match. There was positives and negatives.

"Just because I struggled in the first round doesn't mean I'm going to struggle in the next round too.

"It's the same thing if you win in straight sets - it doesn't mean you're going to win the next match in straight sets. That's the way tennis is.

"That's why you're happy sometimes when you get over the finish line and have a chance to play better or face a different kind of a player.

"That's what I'm going to get for sure in the next round."

Federer was joined in the second round by fifth seed Andy Roddick, a 6-3 6-2 6-2 winner against Rajeev Ram 6-3 6-2 6-2 in an all-American showdown.

Roddick reached the final last year, losing an epic encounter to Federer, and believes he is in good shape despite his third round exit from Queen's a fortnight ago.

"I wasn't too, too panicked about losing at Queen's. I was definitely ready to play a match yesterday," he said.

"There's only so much practice that can be done. It was never a question of how I felt I was hitting the ball.

"I wasn't too worried but I was ready to start playing in a tournament, that's for sure."

British number one and fourth seed Andy Murray opens his Wimbledon against Jan Hajek of the Czech Republic on Court One.

Top-10 seeds Robin Soderling, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, David Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco are also in action.