Wimbledon: Federer is losing

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The day is overcast, brightened up by everybody’s shiny white outfits. But here we are on Centre Court at Wimbledon on Monday expecting to see top-seeded defending champion Roger Federer accept plaudits for his performance last year. But Federer seems discombobulated Federer and has lost the first set to Colombia’s Alejandro Falla.

John McEnroe, doing analysis for the BBC, just commented that Federer looked tentative. And so far, in one hour, one minute, Federer is down a set and a break after Falla took a 4-3 lead in the second with a chance to serve for a 5-3 lead.

More to form, ninth-seeded Kim Clijsters sneaked safely into the second round with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Maria Elena Camerin of Italy. Hardly anybody had arrived before Clijsters was done.

-- Diane Pucin