Tennis:Andy Murray came from behind to beat Daniel Gimeno-Traver in four sets in their first round clash at Wimbledon on Monday evening. As the rest of SW19 was covered up due to rainfall and heavy, grey skies, Murray and Gimeno-Traver did battle under the roof on Centre Court.
The British number one took his time to get going and a first set seriously lacking in intensity went to the Spaniard, 6-4.
The world number 56 must have fancied his chances at that point but Murray found his gear in the second set and went a break up in the eighth game to lead 5-3.
It was all one-way traffic after that as Murray dominated under the lights, winning the final two sets to love to close out a 4-6 6-3 6-0 6-0 victory.
"He was hitting the ball very big and I did well to hang in there in the second set," Murray said. "The conditions are different. It's only the second time in my life I've played on an indoor grass court.
"It does change. There's no wind or elements to contend with. It's good conditions to play in and he was hitting the ball so cleanly at the start of the match but I did well.
"I've played against him before and I've practised with him and I've seen him play some great matches. He can be quite up and down but he started great. I was a little bit surprised he hasn't had great results on the grass before."
Murray insisted he had not underestimated the challenge. "Not at all," he said.
Top seed and defending Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadaldefeated Michael Russellin straight sets to reach the second round. The Spaniard was made to work hard in the opening set but in the end proved far too strong for his American opponent as he claimed a 6-4 6-2 6-2 triumph on Centre Court.
Having fallen 4-2 behind against the veteran world number 90 in the opening set, the 10-time grand slam winner broke twice in a row to take it and then saw out the second and third sets with relative ease.
He impressed more and more as the games passed, although his first-serve accuracy, especially early on in the match, may be of some concern to him.
"I think he (Russell) started playing very well," Nadal said. "He was aggressive and having good returns. I started trying to play too fast in the beginning. I had a few mistakes with the backhand and the forehand, so he had the break.
"After that I started to change my rhythm, using the slice and trying to play longer points. I think I did well after that first moment and my level in general was positive."
Nadal will next meet American Ryan Sweeting, who came back from two sets down to beat Spain's Pablo Andujar3-6 4-6 6-1 7-6 (7-1) 6-1 in a thrilling clash.
Nadal's match was wrapped up just after 3pm, and a little under two hours later play was suspended on all courts barring centre as the heavens opened, as had been forecast.
Others to have completed wins by that point included last year's runner-up Tomas Berdych, who started his campaign in impressive fashion as he crushed Filippo Volandriin straight sets on Court One.
The sixth seed, who knocked out both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic at SW19 in 2010 before losing to Nadal in the final, needed just one hour and 34 minutes to claim an easy 6-2 6-2 6-1 victory.
Berdych, 25, broke his Italian opponent's serve twice in each set while he never looked in any danger of losing his own.
The 6ft 5in Czech, who wasn't even forced to defend a single break point throughout the one-sided encounter, blasted 32 winners and hammered down 12 aces to Volandri's one.
Berdych, who reached the quarter-finals of this year's Australian Open, will next meet Julien Benneteauafter the Frenchman battled to a 6-4 6-2 3-6 4-6 6-1 victory over Belgium's Ruben Bemelmans.
Milos Raonicof Canada has been touted for a successful Wimbledon career and the 20-year-old, seeded 31st, began it with a solid 6-3 7-6 (7/3) 6-3 win over Frenchman Marc Gicquel, who was called in at late notice when Italian Fabio Fogniniwithdrew.
Raonic served 25 aces, including three to win the opening three points of the match on Court 14.
The Montenegro-born player will next face Gilles Muller, who beat Germany's Tommy Haas7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-3) 3-6 6-3, before a potential meeting with Nadal.
Raonic can serve at up to 140mph and has been described as a champion in the making by John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova, but he is not getting carried away with the pressure being thrust upon his young shoulders.
Despite this being his first appearance at SW19, the confident newcomer says he will not be going out to make up the numbers if he clashes with world number one Nadal.
Asked whether a Centre Court clash with the defending champion would be enough reward for this year, Raonic said: "Even though people are saying I'm playing with nothing to lose and all that kind of stuff, I care a lot about it.
"I'm not going to go lose and just accept it and say, 'I've done well this year. It's fine'. I'm not that kind of person."
Ninth seed Gael Monfilsof France was a straight-sets winner, 6-4 7-6 (7/3) 6-3 over Germany's Matthias Bachinger.
"It's good to win a first match in a slam, especially on grass," Monfils said. "It takes a little bit of time to feel really good on grass, so I'm happy to win in straight sets today."
There was more joy for France as Richard Gasquetalso progressed with a straight-sets triumph over Santiago Giraldo.
Gasquet, seeded 17, beat the Colombian 7-5 6-3 7-6 (7-3) and he'll next meet Russia's Igor Kunitsyn, who beat Igor Sijslingof Holland 6-3 6-4 6-2.
Tenth seed Mardy Fishbattled through two tie-breaks before seeing off the challenge of Spain's Marcel Granollers7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 and the American will next meet Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin, who beat Philipp Kohlschreiberof Germany 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-3.
Stanislas Wawrinka, the 14th seed from Switzerland, claimed a comfortable 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory over Potito Staraceand he'll next meet another Italian in the next round after Simone Bolellidefeated Martin Fischerof Austria 7-5 6-4 6-4.
Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci,seeded 30, crashed out as Rainer Schuettlerof Germany defeated him 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 6-2.
Schuettler will next meet Feliciano Lopezafter the Spaniard overcame German Michael Berrer(Ger) 6-4 7-5 6-3.
Elsewhere, Grega Zemljaof Slovenia overcame Slovakian opponent Lukas Lacko6-4 3-6 7-6 (10-8) 6-4, while Alex Bogomolov Jrbeat his fellow American Donald Young7-5 4-6 6-3 6-1.
Israel's Dudi Selais also through after claiming a 6-4 6-1 6-4 win over Frederico Gil.
Twelve games were either started or about to be started when the covers came on, while the planned Court Two clash between Fernando Verdascoand Radek Stepanekwas cancelled for the day.
Britain's Daniel Coxwas one of those marooned mid-match, with the world number 272 trailing Ukraine's Sergiy Stahkovskyby a set at 1-0, while former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potrowas a set up but a break down against Flavio Cipollaon Court 18.
Elsewhere Ivan Ljubicic and Marin Cilicwere locked at a set each when the rain came, Juan Ignacio Chela led Marinko Matosevic2-1 and Gilles Simonheld the advantage over Edouard Roger-Vasselinby the same scoreline.
In the games between Oliver Rochusand Kenny De Schepper,and Andy Roddickand Andreas Beck, the players were on court warming up but had to return to the locker rooms without a ball being hit.