Serena Williams makes her first-round opponent go quietly at Wimbledon

Reporting from Wimbledon, England — Serena Williams fully tapped her grass-court power Tuesday at Wimbledon, blasting 15 aces past Michelle Larcher de Brito, a 17-year-old from Portugal perhaps known more for her grunts than her game.

The sound of that opening stroke as racket met ball outdid any grunt from Larcher de Brito — when she was able to get her racket on the return, that is.

It’s why it took the top-seeded defending champion only 63 minutes to advance, 6-0, 6-4, beginning a day of dominant wins here.

Maria Sharapova, looking a bit more like her 2004 self when she won this Grand Slam event, played serene tennis, fully believing in her groundstrokes and expressing satisfaction with her sometimes unreliable serve. It punished her with only two double faults and Sharapova had no trouble eliminating fellow Russian Anastasia Pivovarova, 6-1, 6-0.

Another former Wimbledon champion, second-seeded Rafael Nadal, also had an anxiety-free first round, beating 20-year-old Japanese wild-card entrant Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. Also winning easily was sixth-seeded Swede Robin Soderling, who made short work of American Robby Ginepri on Centre Court, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.

So Williams and Sharapova, who is seeded 16th, at least for now seem headed for a fourth-round matchup, an early place for the two to test each other.

But Sharapova has yet to play the same kind of power-packed tennis she did before shoulder surgery 13 months ago unsettled her serving motion and also maybe her confidence.

As if to provide moral support, famed tennis coach Nick Bollettieri sat in the back of the Wimbledon press interview room, startling Sharapova not by posing questions but by making statements.

“A couple of things coaches can’t teach,” Bollettieri said. “You refuse to lose and you don’t complain.”

“Sometimes,” Sharapova said.

“I also would like to compliment your coach [Michael Joyce] about the great job he does with you.”

“Thank you,” Sharapova said.

And then, “It’s just fantastic. The tour needs you. I’m delighted for how you’re playing again.”

Sharapova almost blushed. “Thanks, Nick,” she said. “Can I put you in my bag and carry you to every press conference?”

Williams was equally impressive. She finished off her win with a final ace and then did a curtsy. Queen Elizabeth II is expected to make her first Wimbledon appearance since 1977 on Thursday, and Williams is expected to be on Centre Court. The 28-year-old American has been asked several times if she will curtsy for the Queen.

Her attempt Tuesday was a little awkward. “I think I flubbed it,” she said.

Williams, whose white dress was trimmed in a color she called strawberry and whose shoelaces were the same color, also took in good grace the fact that the Centre Court crowd seemed firmly on the side of her opponent. She likened the cheering for Larcher de Brito to her own cheering for North Korea, which lost, 7-0, to Portugal at the World Cup on Monday.

“I would have gotten behind her as well, now that I’m watching a lot of [soccer]. I really got behind North Korea. My heart really went out to them. . . . I was glad to watch the soccer because it helps my tennis game and realize maybe they’re just rooting for the underdog.”

Williams, especially when she was serving, gave her overmatched opponent little room to play and won all 27 points when she made a first serve.

Her main criticism of her game was blunt: “I should have come to the net more.”

This was Nadal’s first appearance since he won the championship in 2008. Nadal missed last year’s tournament because of a knee injury and was appreciative of the reception he received.

“For me it was a very special moment to come back to this,” he said. “I’m enjoying a lot to be back in my favorite tournament.”

While Nadal, the French Open winner last month, and Soderling, the runner-up, seem to have adjusted quickly from clay to grass, the women’s finalist and runner-up in Paris haven’t done as well. Champion Francesca Schiavone was upset Monday, and on Tuesday French finalist Samantha Stosur, seeded sixth, lost to Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi, 6-4, 6-4.

diane.pucin@latimes.com

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