Roger Federer gets a major scare, and Novak Djokovic survives the latest-ending match in Wimbledon history

Reporting from Wimbledon, England — 

Defending champion Roger Federer almost lost at Wimbledon on Monday and so did third-seeded Novak Djokovic, and because of that we found out there was an 11 p.m. curfew at the All England Club.

Good thing there’s a roof.

The tennis playing was leisurely on Centre Court. First up, Federer dawdled through five sets before beating back an unexpected challenge from Colombia’s Alejandro Falla and winning, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1), 6-0.

Last up, Djokovic took every minute of time available before finishing off little Olivier Rochus of Belgium, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. The winning shot was hit at 10:59 p.m. Just in the nick of time.

Djokovic and Rochus finished the 3-hour 51-minute match with the roof closed, and it didn’t even rain. It just got dark. And for the court to be lighted the roof had to be in place.

Over on Court 1, Venus Williams modeled an all-white dress so demure she could have sold it as a First Communion garment and then said it was inspired by rocker Tina Turner. Williams’ tennis was inspired by something powerful too. She cracked a serve timed at 120 mph and was hardly challenged by Rossana De Los Rios of Paraguay in a 6-3, 6-2 win.

But it was the late-night tennis that made much of the news. Wimbledon has had a roof on Centre Court only since last year and it hadn’t been used for reasons other than rain.

The 5-foot-6 Rochus called his five-set loss “the most exciting match I’ve ever been in.” The atmosphere under the roof was raucous and both players reacted by yelling at themselves, and at their rackets.

“We were having fun on the court,” Rochus said. “I think it showed.”

“You don’t see many late-night matches at Wimbledon,” Djokovic said. “It was OK to make some history.”

The roof came up and the lights came on after the third set. The process took about 35 minutes and Djokovic said the break offered a chance to refocus.

“I was able to set my mind again,” he said. “I have a big desire to go far here, but I’ll take one match at a time. It was a tough match.”

Unlike Rochus, Federer didn’t have as much fun. Playing the traditional defending champion’s Centre Court opener, he was often left flat-footed on the baseline, curiously out of place after groundstrokes, definitely in trouble after he lost the first set, then the second, and fell behind in the third and fourth.

“I think I’ve been unlucky enough already this season,” said Federer, who is trying to equal Pete Sampras’ Wimbledon record by winning his seventh men’s singles title. “I needed one lucky match. I’m happy today I gave myself a chance. Maybe some think I should have never put myself in that position. But he played well. He’s unconventional. He doesn’t look like much, but he plays very solid.”

Falla, ranked 59th in the world, hadn’t won a set against Federer in four previous matches, yet at one point in the fourth set, serving for the match at 5-4, he was only three points from a win. “I had a big chance to win this match,” Falla said. “I am happy because I play very well today.”

There were surprises after Federer’s near-loss as well.

Recently crowned French Open women’s champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy, who was seeded fifth here, did not make a smooth adjustment from French clay to Wimbledon grass. She lost, 6-7 (0), 7-5, 6-1, to Vera Dushevina of Russia.

And a pair of Croats — 11th-seeded Marin Cilic and 17th-seeded Ivan Ljubicic — couldn’t get out of the first round. The beneficiary could be fifth-seeded Andy Roddick, an easy 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 winner over Rajeev Ram. Roddick, who might have faced Ljubicic or Cilic in the fourth round, committed only 10 unforced errors and was given standing ovations before and after his quick win.

Williams played mostly clean tennis too. And as a five-time champion here, she finds the slippery grass makes her massive serve a huge weapon. But more than her serve, Williams was asked about her tennis dress. All white, it had layers of fringe on the bottom that swayed in the breeze. “It’s all about white,” Williams said. “There is no illusion this time. My dress was inspired by Tina Turner.”

When asked how, Williams said, “I love her. I love Tina Turner. She reinvented herself. Plus, she looks great.”

Looks aren’t everything, but Wimbledon does often help Williams reinvent herself into the comfortable role as the dictator of play. As she said, “I have a good feel for grass. I’m just ready to go.”

diane.pucin@latimes.com

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