Ivanisevic zips into second round

GORAN IVANISEVIC...Took just over an hour to win his first round match 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 over Dinu Pescariu. WIMBLEDON, June 23: The only con...

GORAN IVANISEVIC8230;Took just over an hour to win his first round match 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 over Dinu Pescariu.

WIMBLEDON, June 23: The only constant factor on the opening day of the 111th Championships was rain. It forced the players run in and out of the locker rooms even as the second seed Croat Goran Ivanisevic beat the rain and his opponent Romanian Dinu Pescariu in straight sets 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 in just over an hour. He can now worry about his second round opponent rather than the weather.

Already, the schedule has gone awry and the most awaited first round match between Mark Philippoussis, the seventh seeded Australian and the imported Briton Greg Rusedski will have to wait.

Defending champion Richard Krajicek played at a frenetic pace, but was just not able to finish off his match against unseeded German Marcello Craca. Up two sets to love, the Dutchman will have to wait for the next dry spell to gain a second-round meeting with Romanian Andrei Pavel who knocked out the French open semifinalist Belgian Filip Dewulf in five sets 6-1, 4-6, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Tenth-seeded Carlos Moya, Australian Open finalist, won his first match on grass, when he defeated Steven Bryan in four sets 7-6 1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. Unlike his fellow Spaniards who stayed away from grass citing injury or plain reluctance to play here, Moya said he felt pretty comfortable playing on grass.

8220;It is not my favourite surface and I8217;m happy to win on grass for the first time,8221; he said. 8220;I felt pretty confident out there and I had fun playing,8221; he said.

Moya was asked about his fellow countrymen8217;s refusal to play Wimbledon.

8220;The others can do what they want. What I think is if you enter the top 20 you have to play the Grand Slam tournaments even if you know that you are not going to win many matches. I know it is going to be difficult to win matches and even if it would be another place, maybe I could get some points. But I agree with them, and if they want to do it, it8217;s good for them, because they can get more points. I have nothing against that,8221; he said.