Wawrinka eases through, Bartoli weeps at Wimbledon

Australian Open winner Stan Wawrinka reached the Wimbledon second round on Tuesday as defending women's champion Marion Bartoli made a tearful return to Centre Court.
Wawrinka, the world number three but seeded five at the All England Club in a reflection of his grasscourt struggles, fired 18 aces and 39 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 win over Portugal's Joao Sousa.
Wawrinka, who has never got beyond the fourth round and was without a win in the tournament since 2011, tackles Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun for a place in the last 32.
"It's a quick surface, you have to be relaxed and confident. Sometimes you can be tight and nervous," said the Swiss.
The now-retired Bartoli returned to Centre Court only to hear herself introduced as 'Maria' by a blundering announcer.
The Frenchwoman performed the coin toss ahead of the first round match between Sabine Lisicki, the German she defeated in the final last year, and Israel's Julia Glushko.
She broke down in tears as she stood on the court where she won her only Grand Slam title. Once she had finished her ceremonial duties, Bartoli headed for a front-row seat in the Royal Box.
Bartoli retired in the immediate aftermath of her Wimbledon win and as a result it was Lisicki who was given the honour of opening the action on Tuesday.
"To relive and walk again on the Wimbledon turf, it's a lot of emotions," Bartoli tweeted.
Lisicki, yet to get beyond the third round of any event in 2014, was untroubled against Glushko, the world number 79, winning 6-2, 6-1 in just 57 minutes.
"It's such a huge honour to play the first match, I am very thankful," said 19th-seeded Lisicki.
"It was very special to see Marion again."
Other early winners on Tuesday were German 20th seed Andrea Petkovic, a semi-finalist at the French Open, who eased past Katarzyna Piter of Poland, 6-1, 6-4, and former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, the 16th seeded Dane, who beat Israel's Shahar Peer 6-3, 6-0.
In men's action, French 14th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a semi-finalist in 2011 and 2012, needed just four points and three minutes to finish off Austria's Jurgen Melzer 6-1, 3-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in a match held over from Monday.
"It was quick. I played only four points. But it wasn't easy to come back after last night. I played a good four points and finally I won," said Tsonga.
- Nadal, Federer in spotlight -
Later Tuesday, world number one Rafael Nadal and seven-time champion Roger Federer begin their campaigns, desperate to banish the ghosts of 2013.
Nadal, seeded two this year, is fresh from a ninth French Open triumph, but where Paris has proved to be a home away from home for the Spaniard, Wimbledon has delivered just bitter-sweet memories.
His two titles of 2008 and 2010 must have seemed like ancient history when he crashed out in the second round in 2012.
Worse was to come in 2013 when he suffered a first ever opening round loss at a major at the hands of Steve Darcis, a Belgian journeyman who hasn't won a match since.
Nadal, seeking a 15th major, faces Martin Klizan of Slovakia, who took a set off the world number one in Paris last year.
"I've said before this is really the most dangerous tournament of the year," said Nadal.
"Here the courts are a little bit faster. The feeling on court is a little bit strange for everybody. Especially the top players who have more pressure."
Federer, meanwhile, believes he's in the best shape to break a tie of seven Wimbledon titles he currently shares with Pete Sampras.
He was buoyed by a seventh Halle grasscourt crown last week, but is aware of the pitfalls of south-west London after losing to Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovksy in the second round 12 months ago.
"I feel like if things click here I should be able to win the tournament," said Federer.
The 32-year-old Swiss faces Italy's Paolo Lorenzi, a man who has never won a match at the majors in his 11-year career.
Top seed and world number one Serena Williams starts her campaign against Anna Tatishvili, the former Georgian player who has switched allegiance to the United States.
The 32-year-old Williams lost in the last-16 at the Australian Open and suffered an embarrassing second round exit to Spain's Garbine Muguruza at the French Open.
Maria Sharapova, who was champion as a 17-year-old in 2004, takes on British wildcard Samantha Murray looking to go further than last year when she was dumped out in the second round by Portuguese qualifier Michelle Larcher De Brito.
Source: AFP