The American no.17 seed was unable to reproduce the same form at AEGON Championships which saw him win three out of four matches on grass, only to be pipped to the title by world number three Andy Murray.

But the 29-year-old will take no further part in this years’ grass court season after suffering a straight sets defeat to Italian Seppi. The unseeded 25-year-old dominated control of the game with Blake producing a series of unforced errors and subsequently falls at the first hurdle, and Seppi will now take on Frenchman Marc Gicquel in round two.

Meanwhile, tournament favourite Federer got his assault on a 6th Wimbledon title off to the perfect start with a 7-5 6-3 6-2 victory over Yen-Hsun Lu.

The world number two opened the first game of the tournament at Centre Court as the main attraction of the day. And despite dropping serve early on in the first set, the Swiss delivered a dominant display for the crowd to book his place in round two.

The 27-year-old will now face a tougher test as he meets Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez who beat Agustin Calleri in three comfortable straight sets earlier in the day.

Fourth seed Novak Djokovic came from a set down to secure a 7-6 6-7 2-6 4-6 first round win over Julien Benneteau.

Benneteau has now lost 11 of his last 12 opening round matches on the Grand Slam circuit but threatened to stage a major upset after battling his way to the first set with a dramatic tie break win.

He was unable to claim the second set as they reached another tie break, this time Djokovic showed no mercy as he powered his way through with a series of mini breaks and square up the contest.

And the Serbian world number four was galvanised by the tie break win as the match was turned on its head and the 22-year-old cruised to the finish line by taking the next two sets with games to spare.

Elsewhere, 9th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga battled his way to a 6-3 5-7 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) win over Andrey Golubev on Court Two. The Frenchman was forced into tie breaks in the final two sets as his Kazakhstani opponent refused to lie down.

The match was a contender for the best of the day, however that award must surely go down to Karol Beck and Feliciano Lopez as fans on court 18 were treated to an epic five set thriller.

Beck took victory over his number 24 seed opponent with a 10-8 triumph in the final set after the two fought out an openly close four sets prior to the classic finale.

Meanwhile, French Open finalist Robin Soderling also got off to a winning start despite falling a set behind to Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller. The Swede, 13th seed, recovered to run out a 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 6-1 6-2 winner.

The 24-year-old did not participate in a grass court tournament to warm up for the third grand slam of the season, so will be particularly pleased at passing his first test since his French Open defeat to Federer.

In the women’s tournament there were few surprises on day one as the big names each pulled through to secure second round challenges.

Second seed Serena Williams made light weight of Neuza Silva with a 6-1 7-5 win on Centre Court after Federer has previously opened proceedings.
The Portuguese qualifier was out powered by Serena’s superior serve as the two time Wimbledon queen took just short of an hour and a quarter to dispatch of the 26-year-old Silva.

Fellow former Queen of the grass court tournament Maria Sharapova also progressed on Day One as she fought out a 7-5 6-4 win over Ukrainian qualifier Viktoriya Kutuzova.

The Russian babe did not have everything her own way however as she found herself 4-1 and 5-3 down at stages in the first set. However, the 2004 Champion regained her stability and showed great fight to overturn the early pressure and take the set.

The 22-year-old has slipped down the rankings this year as shoulder surgery has restricted her participation on the ATP tour. However, a good showing at the AEGON Classic tournament in which she reached the semi finals, Sharapova has been tipped as an outsider for the tournament and showed the kind of determination on day one which suggests she not just here to make up the numbers.

Aside from the front runners, English teenager Laura Robson suffered defeat on her senior debut at the hands of Daniela Hantuchova. Much was unfairly expected of the wildcard entrant, who is still only 15, as she suffered a creditable 3-6 6-4 6-2 defeat to the Slovakian, ranked number 32 in the world.

Some impressive serving from the teenager, who was born in Australia, enabled her to take a shock lead as she powered to the first set and had Hantuchova rattled early on.

However, the 26-year-old proved her hugely superior world ranking over Robson was justified as she capitalised on a series of double faults as the youngsters serve lost its way following the early promise.

Hantuchova will now face a much bigger task as she takes on sixteenth seed Jie Zheng in the second round after she beat unseeded Kristina Barrois 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-4).

Meanwhile Englishman James Ward was unable to cause a first-round upset as he went down to number seven seed Fernando Verdasco in straight sets. The Spaniard used his experience to breeze past the British hopeful 6-1 6-3 6-4 in what looks like another disappointing year for the hosts’ English representatives. Verdasco will now face Serbian front runner Novak Djokovic in the second round in the first big name dual of the tournament.

And so the All English Club’s desperate wait for another English winner of their tournament continues with only Scot Andy Murray offering a realistic chance of producing a British winner in either tournament, and he will open his tournament assault on day two of the 123rd Wimbledon tournament.

1. Rafael Nadal – 7/2

Will he or won’t he? That is the question. The 7/2 odds were posted before the Spaniard lost an exhibition match to Lleyton Hewitt on Thursday. Rafa’s knees have kept tournament organizers on edge and the defending champion is reserving his final decision until the last minute. Despite his number one seed and his glorious 2008 win over Federer in the greatest Wimbledon Final ever played, grass is not Nadal’s surface of choice. The bookmakers have taken that into account and marked him the third choice. It is not easy to overlook his 44-5 2009 won-lost record or career 379-82 record or more than $25 million in earnings.

One way or another Rafa will have an impact on the draw and the seeding. Rafa still seems wounded after falling to Soderling on his favorite surface at Roland Garros.

2. Roger Federer – 11/10

A 15th Grand Slam would unquestionably qualify the Swiss wonder-man as the greatest player of all time. Winning at Wimbledon, where he has already won 5 championships, would add special meaning to the record 15th title.

The bookmakers have installed Roger as a prohibitive favorite and who can argue with a man that has played in 22 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals. Roger Federer knows how to win. He is a champion’s champion and his 650 – 155 career won-lost record tells the story.

3. Andy Murray – 5/2

Fresh off his dominating Queen’s Championship, Andy Murray has sets the presses abuzz. The talented Scot became the first Brit in 71 years to win the Wimbledon prelim, but his Grand Slam record is spotty.

With two quarterfinals and a Runner-up to his credit, Murray has been unable to register a signature win. While the talent is there, many lingering questions about his ability to play on the center stage still remain. His 2008 quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon was his best showing on the home court. Perhaps this year he will live up to expectations.

4. Novak Djokovic – 10/1

Unlike Murray, the big Serb has won a Grand Slam, the 2008 Australian Open, and was a semifinalist here last year. Somehow, his big game disappears against the two biggest names. Grass is not Djokovic’s favorite surface but he has the game for it.

After being eliminated in the quarters at Melbourne and in the 3rd round at Roland Garros, the bookmakers are pulling back a bit. Djokovic will be awaiting word on Nadal’s decision.

5. Juan Martin del Porto – 25/1

He reached the semis in Paris but still must be disappointed with his season. One of the tour’s most popular players, del Porto needs to be a little less popular and a bit more focused. With one of the biggest games on the circuit, the lanky Argentine must make a Grand Slam move.

Del Porto is fast becoming the player other players want to see in a big match. His 31-9 record has moved him up the ladder but he remains a fifth seed in a search of a big upset.

6. Andy Roddick – 25/1

Roddick has performed beyond expectations. A semi-finalist at Melbourne and a fourth round surprise on the red clay in Paris, the two-time Wimbledon Runner-up has the game for the grass.

Roddick’s new conditioning and more disciplined approach make the sixth seed a dangerous opponent. Roddick’s ability to hold serve puts pressure on opponents. At 25/1 the American is a decent longshot.

7. Fernando Verdasco – 25/1

Verdasco was a disappointment in Paris. Since his semi-final match against Nadal in Melbourne, the Spaniard has moved quickly up in the rankings. Verdasco reached the 4th round here last year and is in much better form this time around.

Verdasco should make the quarters and if he plays with his new intensity, he has the game to pull an upset. He simply needs to believe it.

8. Gilles Simon – 125/1 –

After another quiet performance in Paris, Simon can only be regarded as a weak 8 seed. The tiring Frenchman is only 21-18 this season and is moving down in the rankings.

Simon has only reached the quarters in one Grand Slam in his career and grass has never been his strength. The 8 seed lost in the third round last year and he will be tested before that this time.

9. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – 16/1

With Tsonga, it is all about expectations. An imposing force, his fourth round performance in Paris was lackluster. Best described as a moody player, Tsonga needs to come out, grab the momentum and run with it. In his only Wimbledon, he reached the fourth round, but the bookmakers must see something we do not. Look for an early upset.

10. Fernando Gonzalez – 66/1

Fernando does not beat himself. A passionate, experienced competitor, Gonzalez plays to the crowd. He goes after the umpire, the linespeople and anyone else who will listen. With a 4th round showing in Melbourne and a semi at Paris, Gonzalez will not be an easy out. With a 22-6 record this year, Gonzalez has steadily moved ahead. Look for at least a quarterfinal appearance.

11. Robin Soderling – 33/1

Soderling still has his Roland Garros glow. Wherever that showing came from, it made an impression. Soderling has jumped up in the rankings and caught the eyes of the bookmakers. He has the serve and the forehand to pull more surprises. Now that he has tasted success, he may be hard to stop.