TENNIS in DEPTH.

Rafael Nadal returned to Centre Court for the first time since his 2008 triumph on Tuesday – and duly posted an expected win.

The world number one, who missed last year’s tournament due to a knee injury, was returning to the scene of his epic final victory over Roger Federer, a match which famously ended in near darkness.

In contrast, bright sunshine and temperatures of 80 degrees Fahrenheit greeted the Spaniard as he stepped out onto the famous court prior to his 6-2 6-4 6-4 victory over spirited wild card Kei Nishikori.

Andy Murray recovered from a shaky start to cruise through his first-round match against Jan Hajek in a rare appearance on Court One on Tuesday.

The British number one is more used to being centre stage at Wimbledon but it was not an extended stay on the All England Club’s second court as he dispatched his Czech opponent 7-5 6-1 6-2 in little over an hour and a half.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga made a winning return from injury at Wimbledon on Tuesday.

The 10th seed had been a doubt to appear at the All England Club after a hip injury forced him to quite his fourth-round match at the French Open.

In a battle of the big servers with Robert Kendrick – there was just one break apiece in the entire contest – the Frenchman progressed with a 7-6 (7/2) 7/6 (8/6) 3-6 6-4 win.

The first match on Court One was something of a throwback to the past, both players happy to come to the net – an area where Tsonga 25 of 28 points.

Kendrick out-aced his opponent 28 to 19 but it was Tsonga who progressed, refocusing after losing the third set.

Several other of the main seeds also moved into round two on Tuesday, Queen’s Club winner Sam Querrey leading the way.

The American progressed when opponent Sergiy Stakhovsky quit due to illness in the third set. Querrey was already two sets to the good.

Mikhail Youzhny, seeded 13, ended the hopes of Andy Roddick’s conqueror at Queen’s, Dudi Sela.

In what was always a closely-fought match, Youzhny came through a 6-3 6-4 4-6 7-6 (7/2) winner.

And ninth seed David Ferrer had no problems in dispatching German veteran Nicolas Kiefer, a quarter-finalist in SW19 way back in 1997, 6-4 6-2 6-3.

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