Federer Narrowly Avoids First-Round Exit; Melzer, Monfils Advance

© Getty ImagesRoger Federer is looking to win his 17th Grand Slam championship.

Top seed Roger Federer came within three points of exiting The Championships on Monday, but the defending champion and six-time titlist held his nerve to beat Colombian Alejandro Falla 5-7, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(1), 6-0 for only his sixth comeback from a 0-2 sets deficit in 875 tour-level matches.

Playing the first match on Centre Court for the seventh year running, Federer was outplayed by Falla in the first two sets. Falla required treatment for a groin injury prior to the start of the third set, but at 4-4 in the third set he squandered four break point opportunities. He missed a forehand volley at the net on his third point, which spurred Federer into fighting back.

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Federer, looking to win a record-equalling seventh title at Wimbledon, won the third set on his first set-point opportunity when Falla hit a forehand wide at 30/40. But Falla remained in contention for the third Top 10 win of his career.

Falla capitalised on three double faults to break Federer’s serve in the first game of the fourth set. He went onto serve for the match at 5-4, but looked nervous and dropped to 15/40. Federer levelled the scoreline on his second opportunity with a powerful forehand winner, before running through the deciding set in 27 minutes.

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Federer admitted afterwards that he felt the closest to defeat when Falla led 0/40 on the Swiss' serve at 4-4 in the third set. "That was the moment I felt was the toughest because if I wouldn't have come out of that game, I don't think I would have broken the next one. I had more belief I was going to break him in the fourth.

"I'm happy I found a way to win today even though it was a tough match and a tough start for me. It was frustrating, to say the least. I hung tough and came through. For me it's not normal to be down two-sets-to-love, especially at Wimbledon, and early on in Grand Slams. It's something I'm not quite used to. But still I was able to find a way. That's most important right now. Doesn't matter how I felt out there. Didn't feel great, that's for sure."

Post-Match Interviews: Federer | Falla

Federer, who will turn 29 in August, is making his 43rd consecutive appearance at a major championship. He improved to a 52-5 record at the All England Club and will be bidding to break Pete Sampras' Open Era record of 10 grass-court titles.

Federer’s countryman Stanislas Wawrinka was not so fortunate in his five-set tussle with Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin, losing 6-7(5), 6-1, 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 in just over three hours. The 20th-seeded Wawrinka committed 43 unforced errors and lost his serve three times. World No. 70 Istomin, a semi-finalist at Eastbourne last week, next will face German Rainer Schuettler, who cruised past Russia’s Dmitry Tursunov 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.

Jurgen Melzer, the No. 16 seed from Austria, withstood 17 aces from the racquet of Grand Slam debutant Dustin Brown for a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win in one hour and 48 minutes. Brown, playing on his fourth tour-level grass-court tournament, is the first Jamaican to compete at a major championship since Richard Russell at 1974 Roland Garros.

Pole Michal Przysiezny hit 55 winners and 14 aces to beat No. 17 seed Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 7-5, 7-6(5), 6-3 in two hours and 13 minutes, while 2005 and 2008 quarter-finalist Feliciano Lopez – the No. 22 seed from Spain – hit a whopping 84 winners in a 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over American Jesse Levine.

France’s Gael Monfils, playing at The Championships for the first time since 2007, knocked out Leonardo Mater of Argentina 6-1, 7-6(9), 6-2 in just one hour and 35 minutes. The No. 21 seed won the first set in just 15 minutes and hit 21 aces and 69 winners overall.