There were strawberries and cream on court as well as off at Wimbledon today when Serena Williams stepped onto Centre Court in red and white. While hemlines continue to dominate headlines, Serena failed to disappoint in an off-white 'Control Lawn dress' by Nike, inspired by the British dessert synonymous with the tournament, featuring bright piping and matching hotpants. 

 The defending champion not only co-ordinated her socks and trainers with bright red laces, but also showed off intricate nail art with silver sequin polish and capital S painted on her finger. 

But of course it was also her tennis that was the focus as Williams beat Portugal's Michelle Larcher De Brito 6-0 6-4, sailing through to the next round. On the warm, sunny afternoon, Williams won all 27 points on her first serve, including an ace with her final shot.

De Brito played it safe in a classic white dress with navy trim but also matched her Nike shoes, proving fashion on court is fast becoming a necessary prerequisite to big tournaments.

But after four British women's hopefuls were knocked out yesterday, it was bad news again for Anne Keovathong, who lost to Russian-born Anastasia Rodianova on Court 12.

Keovathong lost six games in a row to throw away the decider to Rodionova 6-4.

The Hackney-born player - sporting yellow hotpants under her white skirt and vest - was is visibly upset after losing 3-6 6-2 6-4, reminiscent of her tears last year.

Meanwhile Andy Murray flashed a rare smile as he arrived at the club for practice this morning, while Rafael Nadal was seen training ahead of his match this afternoon against Japanese player Kei Nishikori. Nadal, the 2008 champion who missed out on defending his title last year due to tendinitis, returned to a Centre Court basking in 80-degree heat with ready to win as he claimed the opener 6-2 in the first-round contest.

Murray also seemed in high spirits today as he updated his fans on Twitter. He wrote:'Solid chicken and pasta for lunch. Thanks for all the support and see u out there!' And the fans were out there in the hundreds, queuing with their picnics according to Wimbledon tradition.

But frustrated tennis-lovers had to wait a while before seeing Murray on court as there was at least another set to be played by Robert Kendrick and Jo-Wilfired Tsonga before the British no1 took to the court.

Looking smart in Adidas, Murray's mother Judy and girlfriend Kim Sears turned out to watch him up against Jan Hajek.

The pair were pictured together yesterday in a rare romantic display after reuniting last month following a split last November.

There was plenty in the way of celebrities to entertain between matches - albeit in the safety of a VIP area rather than with the hordes outside. Bear Grylls, Grace Jones and Trinny Woodall were among the unlikely group in the Evian suite. They were joined by T4 presenter Jameela Jamil, Skins star Nicholas Hoult and singer Victoria Hesketh, a.k.a. Little Boots.

As well as beating her rivals on the tennis court, Maria Sharapova plans to outplay them in the fashion stakes. With her new Wimbledon dress, the Lawn Rose, the 2004 champion is hoping to steal the show on the court catwalk. But its unique style is not her only motivation — the dress also comes with a £43 million deal.

Nike, which sponsored the design, extended its contract with the 23-year-old Russian in January. The eight-year deal is believed to be the most lucrative women’s sports endorsement ever. Sharapova, seeded 16 for this year’s tournament, wore the new outfit for the first time on Court 12 today in her opening match against fellow Russian Anastasia Pivovarova. The outfit, all white with cream-coloured piping, has a lightweight base layer and soft overlayers based on an upturned rose.

In 2008, Sharapova was accused of creating a fashion disaster by opting to forgo frilly dresses and sleek designs and instead wear a top with 'a tuxedo bib front' and a pair of men’s shorts. The year before, she wore an all-white dress with lots of pleats in the back, said to be inspired by a swan.

Portuguese teenager Michelle Larcher de Brito summoned lingering wails which left the short, sharp growls of Wimbledon favourite Serena Williams in the shade. Even passing aircraft overhead were out-screamed by the pair. Many members of the crowd broke into giggles during the second set of Williams' victory with the noises making more of an impact than the tennis.

Some of Larcher de Brito's wails lasted longer than it took for her opponent to hit a return.

Larcher de Brito's shrieks have got her into trouble in the past. At the French Open last year her opponent complained to an umpire, prompting an unofficial warning.The Williams sisters have been noted for grunts reaching 85 to 90 decibels.

Maria Sharapova is the outstanding grunt champion, on occasion breaking the 100-decibel mark. Sharapova says she has been grunting since the age of four and cannot help it.