Wimbledon 2008: Federer Brushes Aside Hrbaty in Straight Sets

The world No1 Roger Federer began his quest for a modern-era record sixth consecutive Wimbledon title with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Slovakia's Dominik Hrbaty on the opening day of the All England Championships.

Federer, extending his unbeaten streak on grass to 60 matches, eased into the second round with a confident performance in glorious sunshine on Centre Court. With a morale-boosting tournament win on grass in Halle last week after a crushing French Open final defeat by Rafael Nadal earlier this month, Federer was never extended by Hrbaty, who battled hard but lacked the firepower to pressure the top seed.

After claiming the first two sets at a canter, Federer continued his dominance in the third set, breaking Hrbaty's serve in the third game and displaying his full repertoire of aggressive stroke making. One backhand down the line in the fifth game had the hallmark of genius and while his opponent was clearly struggling with his game, there appeared to be no weakness in Federer's performance.

His serving, in particular, was impressive, 10 aces blazing from his racket, while his volleying was also tight. So impressive was his game that at the changeover after the seventh game Hrbaty sat down in the chair next to Federer presumably to ask for some tips.

Federer, who plays Robin Soderling in the second round, proceeded to serve out for a straight-sets victory in just one hour and 19 minutes, which should act as a warning to his closest rivals.