Nadal, fresh from a record-equalling sixth French Open, was only troubled briefly by 33-year-old American Michael Russell as he cantered to a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 first round win.

Russell, who has never got beyond the second round, broke for a 4-2 lead in the first set, but Nadal then reeled off six games in succession to take the opener and lead 2-0 in the second set.

Nadal was quickly 4-1 ahead in the third set and there was no way back for the world 91 as the top seed, who unleashed 35 winners, set up a second round meeting with Ryan Sweeting of the United States.

The world No 1 is favourite to win Wimbledon and claim his 11th Grand Slam crown in the process.

Elsewhere, Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych — beaten by Nadal in last year’s final — stormed through with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 win over Italy’s Filippo Volandri.

French ninth seed Gael Monfils defeated Germany’s Matthias Bachinger 6-4, 7-6, 6-3 and Stanislas Wawrinka, the Swiss 14th seed, beat Italy’s Potito Starace 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Richard Gasquet, the French 17th seed, clinched a 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 win over Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo.

Like Nadal, Venus Williams knows what it takes to lift the trophy in south-west London and the 23rd seed wasted little time disposing of Uzbekistan’s Akgul Amanmuradova, 6-3, 6-1.

Williams showed no signs of the hip injury which kept her off the tour for five months until her Eastbourne return last week. But she was more concerned with focusing on a satisfying return to action at her favourite Grand Slam.

Williams now takes on 40-year-old Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm who became the second oldest winner of a singles match at Wimbledon with her 6-0, 7-5 demolition of British wild card Katie O’Brien.

Date-Krumm, a semi-finalist at the All England Club in 1996 and who made her debut in 1989, had the honour of playing the first match on the new Court Three which has replaced the old Court Two, the former Graveyard of the Champions.

Vera Zvonareva, beaten by Serena Williams in last year’s final, made a winning return as the Russian second seed defeated America’s Alison Riske 6-0, 3-6, 6-3.

Russian 12th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated China’s Zhang Shuai 3-6, 6-3 6-4, while Israel’s 22nd seed Shahar Peer went down 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 to Ksenia Pervak of Russia.

Russian 28th seed Ekaterina Makarova also lost, 2-6 6-1 8-6 against America’s Christina McHale.

Meanwhile, heavy rain brought Wimbledon’s Centre Court roof into action when play was halted at 1608 GMT with 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone into a final set against 2000 Wimbledon semi-finalist Jelena Dokic on the main showcourt.

Play resumed on Centre Court at 1656 GMT but the heavy rain kept the covers on all the outside courts. Schiavone won 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

First round: Dudi Sela (Israel) bt Frederico Gil (Portugal) 6-4, 6-1, 6-4; 6-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) bt Filippo Volandri (Italy) 6-2, 6-2, 6-1; Julien Benneteau (France) bt Ruben Bemelmans (Belgium) 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 6-1; 17-Richard Gasquet (France) bt Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3); Ryan Sweeting (US) bt Pablo Andujar (Spain) 3-6, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-1), 6-1; Igor Kunitsyn (Russia) bt Igor Sijsling (Netherlands) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2; Simone Bolelli (Italy) bt Martin Fischer (Austria) 7-5, 6-4, 6-4; 9-Gael Monfils (France) bt Matthias Bachinger (Germany) 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3; 14-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) bt Potito Starace (Italy) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4; 1-Rafa Nadal (Spain) bt Michael Russell (US) 6-4, 6-2, 6-2; Alex Bogomolov Jr (US) bt Donald Young (US) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1; Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) bt Tommy Haas (Germany) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-3; Grega Zemlja (Slovenia) bt Lukas Lacko (Slovakia) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-4; Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; 10-Mardy Fish (US) bt Marcel Granollers (Spain) 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5), 6-4; Rainer Schuettler (Germany) bt 30-Thomaz Bellucci (Brazil) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 6-2; Feliciano Lopez (Spain) bt Michael Berrer (Germany) 6-4, 7-5, 6-3; 31-Milos Raonic (Canada) bt Marc Gicquel (France) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3.
Women’s singles:

First round: 6-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) bt Jelena Dokic (Australia) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3; Monica Niculescu (Romania) bt Sybille Bammer (Austria) 6-1, 6-1; 12-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) bt Zhang Shuai (China) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Alexandra Dulgheru (Romania) bt Jill Craybas (US) 6-2, 6-4; Christina McHale (US) bt 28-Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) 2-6, 6-1, 8-6; Sara Errani (Italy) bt 17-Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) 6-1, 6-4; 2-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) bt Alison Riske (US) 6-0, 3-6, 6-3; Ksenia Pervak (Russia) bt 22-Shahar Peer (Israel) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4; Anna Tatishvili (Georgia) bt Anastasia Pivovarova (Russia) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3; 19-Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) bt Varvara Lepchenko (US) 7-5, 6-3; Elena Vesnina (Russia) bt Laura Pous Tio (Spain) 6-4, 6-3; Pauline Parmentier (France) bt Sorana Cirstea (Romania) 6-1, 6-3; 23-Venus Williams (US) bt Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzbekistan) 6-3, 6-1; Kimiko Date-Krumm (Japan) bt Katie O’Brien (Britain) 6-0, 7-5.—Agencies

British number one routs Roddick but Ward falls to Tsonga
British number one Murray was in scintillating form against the American, who is always a tough proposition on grass, and he wrapped up a brilliant victory in just under an hour.
Murray made it into the semi-finals without hitting a ball after Marin Cilic pulled out of their proposed quarter-final, but the extra day's rest obviously did wonders as he came blazing out of the traps.
A shell-shocked Roddick simply had no answer to Murray's returns of serve and thumping passing shots, with almost everything that came firing off the Scotsman's racquet finding the target.
Murray did his part to try and set up the first all-British final at Queen's since 1931, only for surprise package James Ward was unable to fulfill his end of the bargain as he lost to Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

"I got off to a good start. Andy is one of the toughest guys to break on the tour. I managed to get a break early in both sets, everything that touched my racquet was going in," said Murray. "That doesn't happen much on court. I was lucky."
With Wimbledon just over a week away the signs are looking good for Murray with such a dominant display over Roddick - who was chasing a record fifth Queen's title and has played in three Wimbledon finals.
With his troublesome ankle well-rested, Murray came storming out of the blocks and after two aces of his own he broke Roddick's powerful serve in his first game to go 2-0 ahead, before two trademark drop-shots sealed a good hold for 4-1.
After claiming the first set, a break right at the start of the second put Murray well in charge again, and a Roddick double fault then gave Murray the chance to make it 4-1, which he took with ease.
Murray sealed the win in the same style, with his passing shots in the final game summing up his performance. He took his third match point just in time to stop the match clock at 59 minutes after a sublime exhibition of grass court tennis at its best.