Venus Williams ready to defend Wimbledon crown

TODAY’S FEATURED MATCHES

(world rankings in parentheses)

Venus Williams (3), United States vs. Stefanie Voegele (98), Switzerland

The queen hasn’t lost here since the third round in 2006 when records indicate she fell to Jelena Jankovic by 6-4 in a third set. It’s clear by now that on that day they just counted up the score wrong.

Andy Murray (3), Britain vs. Robert Kendrick (76), U.S.

Kendrick led Rafael Nadal by two sets in the second round in 2006. If Kendrick leads Murray by two sets, the spectators and the BBC might experience shortness of breath, profuse sweating and mild nausea.

Andy Roddick (6), U.S. vs. Jeremy Chardy (43), France

It’s a bit of a media sensation that Roddick invited a London cab driver he has known for several years to his recent Texas wedding. If you can root against him after that, then you’re just an obstinate pig.

Dinara Safina (1), Russia vs. Lourdes Dominguez Lino (70), Spain

As that rare quiet No. 1-seeded player, Safina can play with no pressure because nobody expects anything after she fell to pieces in that French Open final. As a pre-Wimbledon strategy, it’s very creative.

Marat Safin (23), Russia vs. Jesse Levine (136), U.S.

During Safin’s last Wimbledon, those sobbing will include young women and old reporters.

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ENGLISH BREAKFAST

Disappointment marred the All England Club on Monday, the 109-decibel grunter Michelle Larcher De Brito failed to grunt gratingly. During her 6-2, 7-5 win over Klara Zakopalova, the 16-year-old from Portugal did not approximate her French Open simulation of a Christmas goose being strangled, instead releasing these chihuahua-like yelps.

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BRITMANIA UPDATE

The 15-year-old sensation from Wimbledon, the left-hander Laura Robson, debuted on the new stadium Court No. 2 and won the first set against No. 33 Daniela Hantuchova, whereupon the British became so excited they presented her a trophy. OK, not true, and Robson proceeded to lose, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

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ROOF UPDATE

It didn’t rain Monday, so the new Centre Court roof stayed retracted with the official Wimbledon forecast for today: “A fine day in prospect.” Clearly it’s a huge waste of $120 million or so.

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ALSO AT WIMBLEDON ON MONDAY

Wimbledon remains a mystery to James Blake, 29 and seeded No. 17, who said, “This is something that has probably been my worst Slam, and I don’t understand why,” after his 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (5) loss to No. 48 Andreas Seppi of Italy. . . . Two other American men, No. 25 Mardy Fish from Tampa, Fla., and No. 48 Sam Querrey from Thousand Oaks, tore through their first-round matches, Fish leading by two sets when Sergio Roitman retired and Querrey beating Danai Udomchoke by 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 after Ivan Ljubicic withdrew. . . . Maria Sharapova trailed 4-1 but beat Viktoriya Kutuzova of Ukraine, 7-5, 6-4. . . . For the sixth straight year, Roger Federer played the first match on Centre Court, the traditional role of the defending champion, but this time only because Rafael Nadal had withdrawn.

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STATISTIC OF THE DAY

39-0 -- Serena Williams’ career record in Grand Slam first-round matches.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

Novak Djokovic, the world’s No. 4 player and the only man not named Federer or Nadal to win any of the last 17 Grand Slams, on whether he’s happy nobody’s talking about him around here:

“Very happy.”

-- Chuck Culpepper