Hingis stutters before finding form

For someone whose post-tennis ambition is to join the FBI it was entirely appropriate that 24-year-old Lisa Raymond thoroughly investigated the current wellbeing of defending champion Martina Hingis at a rain-interrupted Wimbledon yesterday.

The gently weeping skies provided a fractured and frustrating afternoon where soccer and not tennis usurped the attention of the players. Italy's World Cup victory over Austria entertained the multi-national women's locker room with Hingis conceding that it was a welcome distraction from magazines and chat.

Her opinion was certainly not shared by an opponent whose only initial visible change prompted by the rain delay was to the colour of her bandana, from red to green. Unfortunately for the American the alteration was far from cosmetic in relation to the pattern of the match.

Trailing by a set and 2-1, Raymond promptly lost her serve on the re-start, was broken again in the sixth game to trail 5-1, before showing character and a reprise of the exemplary tennis of the first set to haul herself back to 53: it was a short-lived stay of execution with Hingis unfussily closing out the match in the very next game.

Raymond, a crime novel fanatic who studied Agatha Christie at College, enjoys a world ranking of 19 and therefore presented an obvious danger to the Swiss teenager, gracing centre court for the first time since defeating Jana Novotna in three sets in last year's final.

That she fulfilled the pre-match hype is irrefutable: indeed the powerful American sent Hingis desperately scampering from side to side in pursuit of her heavy backhand slice. The world number one ill at ease, initially, in dealing with the resulting low bounce, an ungainly stretch and swish of the racket preferred to good footwork.

Raymond appeared galvanised by the memory of their last meeting when she beat the 17-year-old Swiss in Zurich. The main difference this time was that the American could not avail of her opportunities, managing to take only two of six break points forged.

She admitted: "I had quite a few chances. In the first game I was up 0-30 and then had a few chances to break her. I would play well to get those break points but then I wouldn't execute and break her. It definitely could have changed the match."

For Hingis the victory was a satisfactory conclusion, more than compensating for the obvious flaws that threatened to occasionally derail the defence of her title. "I am happy now that the first match is over and once you play a tough first round you always feel better after winning it: because it is always difficult at the Grand Slams winning the first round. I hope it will be easier for the next two or three rounds."

While Hingis stuttered initially, two of her arch rivals, Novotna and Venus Williams, experienced little difficulty in securing second round berths. Novotna dismissed Sandra Kleinova of the Czech Republic 6-2 6-2, while the 6' 2" American, with trademark beaded hairstyle, was delayed marginally longer before beating Canadian Jana Nejedly 6-3 6-3.

Yesterday's fare should have been dominated by the men's number four seed, Canadian-born, naturalised Englishman Greg Rusedski, but the rain delays and his late arrival on court conspired to dampen the ardour and ultimately use up the patience of a section of partisan support.

The cameras, when not fixed upon the British player's heavily strapped left ankle, could not hide the empty seats but there was still enough union flag bunting and jingoistic fervour to provoke Rusedski's 1,000 watt smile. His decision to ignore a torn ankle ligament and bravely court possible disaster and humiliation in taking on Australian Mark Draper, ranked 238 in the world, appeared a reasonable gamble initially as the fastest server in the game snatched the first set 6-4.

But his success did not hide a multitude of problems, not least his obvious discomfort in moving and a limp that became more pronounced with every poor shot he hit - and he hit many. His smile faded, to be replaced by a grimace and perhaps a realisation that fortune does not always favour the brave, his gung ho bravado ebbing away as he gingerly picked his way around the court.

In two separate games Draper conjured break points on Rusedski's famed delivery but could not manage to see the job through. Instead Rusedski, on his first break point on the Australian's serve, took his own opportunity and the set, 6-4.

Draper's response was swift, breaking in the opening game of the second, greatly facilitated by a couple of double faults.

Rusedski's serve, his most potent weapon normally, was proving an achilles heel as he suffered 18 double faults in the two sets and nine games, managing to put 50 per cent of his first serves in play.

Draper raced through the second set 6-2 and then broke again in the third to find himself serving for a 2-1 lead in sets when the rain intervened once again: the elements had saved Rusedski but for how long. Draper's nerve as much as Rusedski's ankle may provide the definitive answer.