London - Seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams moved into the second round on Tuesday with a hard-fought 6-2, 7-5 win over Italian qualifier Giulia Gatto-Monticone.
The 37-year-old American, who if she wins Wimbledon will share the record with Margaret Court of 24 Grand Slam titles, eased through the first set.
However, she had a far tougher battle in the second set against the Italian, who was making her Wimbledon debut, and who broke Williams's serve when the American served for the match at 5-3.
Williams spent a lot of the time chastising herself but eventually closed out the match breaking Gatto-Monticone's serve.
Williams, whose sister Venus crashed out on Monday losing to teenage sensation Cori Gauff, said despite her laboured performance the knee injury that has affected her season had not given her any trouble.
"It is the best I have felt since February," she said.
"I pretty much had to skip the hard court season and missed a couple of clay tournaments.
"I am better now, I feel happy now that I get to play with my baby."
Wimbledon results on Tuesday (x denotes seeding):
Men
1st round
Sam Querrey (USA) bt Dominic Thiem (AUT x5) 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 6-0
Andrey Rublev (RUS) bt Christian Garín (CHI) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
John Millman (AUS) bt Hugo Dellien (BOL) 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
Gilles Simon (FRA x20) bt Salvatore Caruso (ITA) 7-6 (9/7), 6-3, 6-2
Tennys Sandgren (USA) bt Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3
Fabio Fognini (ITA x12) bt Frances Tiafoe (USA) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
Dan Evans (GBR) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO x18) bt James Ward (GBR) 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 8-6
Ricardas Berankis (LTU) bt Denis Shapovalov (CAN x29) 7-6 (7/0), 6-4, 6-3
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) bt Bernard Tomic (AUS) 6-2, 6-1, 6-4
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) bt Jordan Thompson (AUS) 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 7-6 (12/10), 0-6, 6-1
Rafael Nadal (ESP x3) bt Yuichi Sugita (JPN) 6-3, 6-1, 6-3
Kei Nishikori (JPN x8) bt Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4
Cameron Norrie (GBR) bt Denis Istomin (UZB) 6-2, 6-4, 6-4
Steve Johnson (USA) bt Albert Ramos (ESP) 6-4, 6-2, 6-3
Alex De Minaur (AUS x25) bt Marco Cecchinato (ITA) 6-0, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5)
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER x33) bt Radu Albot (MDA) 6-4, 6-3, 6-2
Taylor Fritz (USA) bt Tomas Berdych (CZE) 6-4, 6-4, 6-3
Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) bt Pablo Andújar (ESP) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
John Isner (USA x9) bt Casper Ruud (NOR) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (11/9)
Matteo Berrettini (ITA x17) bt Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/3)
Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) bt Brayden Schnur (CAN) 6-2, 6-4, 6-4
Dominik Koepfer (GER) bt Filip Krajinovic (SRB) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (11/9), 6-1
Diego Schwartzman (ARG x24) bt Matthew Ebden (AUS) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Lucas Pouille (FRA x27) bt Richard Gasquet (FRA) 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4)
Grégoire Barrère (FRA) bt Alexander Bublik (KAZ) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
Jay Clarke (GBR) bt Noah Rubin (USA) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4
Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Lloyd Harris (RSA) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
Women
1st round
Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) bt Saisai Zheng (CHN) 6-4, 6-2
Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
Harriet Dart (GBR) bt Christina McHale (USA) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) bt Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP x26) 6-4, 6-4
Ivana Jorovic (SRB) bt Lesley Kerkhove (NED) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4
Kaia Kanepi (EST) bt Stefanie Voegele (SUI) 5-7, 7-5, 6-4
Belinda Bencic (SUI x13) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 6-2, 6-3
Serena Williams (USA x11) bt Giulia Gatto-Monticone (ITA) 6-2, 7-5
Kaja Juvan (SLO) bt Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
Varvara Flink (RUS) bt Paula Badosa (ESP) 6-4, 6-2
Julia Goerges (GER x18) bt Gabriela Ruse (ROU) 7-5, 6-1
Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP x30) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS) 6-2, 7-5
Pauline Parmentier (FRA) bt Maria Sharapova (RUS) 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 5-0 - retired
Lauren Davis (USA) bt Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 6-3, 6-2
Angelique Kerber (GER x5) bt Tatjana Maria (GER) 6-4, 6-3
Kiki Bertens (NED x4) bt Mandy Minella (LUX) 6-3, 6-2
Taylor Townsend (USA) bt Arina Rodionova (AUS) 6-2, 6-3
Laura Siegemund (GER) bt Katie Swan (GBR) 6-2, 6-4
Barbora Zahlavova (CZE) bt Lesya Tsurenko (UKR x32) 6-3, 6-2
Elise Mertens (BEL x21) bt Fiona Ferro (FRA) 6-2, 6-0
Monica Niculescu (ROU) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER) 2-6, 6-2, 7-5
Tamara Zidansek (SLO) bt Eugénie Bouchard (CAN) 6-3, 5-7, 8-6
Wang Qiang (CHN x15) bt Vera Lapko (BLR) 6-2, 6-2
Sloane Stephens (USA x9) bt Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 6-2, 6-4
Wang Yafan (CHN) bt Tereza Martincova (CZE) 6-2, 7-5
Katerina Siniaková (CZE) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) 2-6, 6-1, 6-1
Johanna Konta (GBR x19) bt Ana Bogdan (ROU) 7-5, 6-2
Amanda Anisimova (USA x25) bt Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 6-3, 6-3
Magda Linette (POL) bt Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) 6-0, 7-6 (11/9)
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) bt Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS) 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2
Petra Kvitova (CZE x6) bt Ons Jabeur (TUN) 6-4, 6-2