Federer avoids embarrassment

London - Roger Federer narrowly avoided an embarrassing first round exit at Wimbledon as the defending champion came from two sets down to defeat Colombia's Alejandro Falla 5-7 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7/1) 6-0 on Monday.

Federer was completely out of sorts for long periods against an opponent ranked 60th in the world and looked in severe danger of suffering his first defeat at Wimbledon outside the final since 2002.

But the top seed showed tremendous courage to overcome his struggles and grind out an ugly win that keeps him on course for a record-equalling seventh men's singles title at the All England Club.

First Round Results (x denotes seeding):

Men

Ricardas Berankis (LTU) bt Carsten Ball (AUS) 6-2, 6-0, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5)
Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) bt Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 7-5, 6-4, 6-3
Michal Przysiezny (POL) bt Ivan Ljubicic (CRO x17) 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3
Feliciano Lopez (ESP x22) bt Jesse Levine (USA) 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
Mardy Fish (USA) bt Bernard Tomic (AUS) 6-3, 7-6 (10/8), 6-2
Daniel Brands (GER) bt Igor Andreev (RUS) 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4), 7-5
Gael Monfils (FRA x21) bt Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 6-1, 7-6 (11/9), 6-2
Ilija Bozoljac (SRB) bt Nicolas Massu (CHI) 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9/7)
Jurgen Melzer (AUT x16) bt Dustin Brown (JAM) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
Brendan Evans (USA) bt Jesse Huta Galung (NED) 6-3, 7-6 (14/12), 6-3
Rainer Schuettler (GER) bt Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
Roger Federer (SUI x1) bt Alejandro Falla (COL) 5-7, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/1), 6-0

Women

Chan Yung-Jan (TPE) bt Patty Schnyder (SUI) 6-0, 6-2
Kim Clijsters (BEL x8) bt Maria Elena Camerin (ITA) 6-0, 6-3
Vera Zvonareva (RUS x21) bt Nuria Llagostera (ESP) 6-4, 6-1
Nadia Petrova (RUS x12) bt Tatjana Malek (GER) 6-4, 6-3
Marion Bartoli (FRA x11) bt Julia Goerges (GER) 6-4, 6-3
Karolina Sprem (CRO) bt Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 6-3, 6-4
Shenay Perry (USA) bt Anastasiya Yakimova (BLR) 6-2, 4-6, 9-7
Maria Kirilenko (RUS x27) bt Stefanie Voegele (SUI) 2-6, 6-4, 7-5
Petra Martic (CRO) bt Elena Baltacha (GBR) 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) bt Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) 6-4, 6-1
Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ x30) bt Polona Hercog (SLO) 6-1, 6-4