Five-time women's champion Venus Williams was unexpectedly ousted in the first round for the first time since making her debut at the All England Club in 1997. Williams is still battling an incurable auto-immune disease that causes fatigue and joint pain.

Meanwhile, the top-seed and 2004 champion Maria Sharapova was among a slew of seeded players advancing yesterday. On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic began defense of his title at Wimbledon with a dominant victory over former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero.