SportsLine wire reports

LONDON -- Steffi Graf embarked on her campaign for an eighth Wimbledon title on Monday, anticipating that it may be easier after her unexpected French Open triumph.

The 30-year-old German declared herself "feeling pretty good out there - for my age" and was not required to perform any heroics in her 43-minute, 6-1, 6-4 triumph over Slovak debutante Ludmila Cervanova.

She said she still had plenty in reserve. "I did not serve and volley a whole lot today. I held it back for more important matches," she said.

Not "a whole lot" was a bit of an overstatement. She tried it once early in the second set, charging to the net behind her serve -- and promptly lost the point when Cervanova passed her.

Having deemed that experiment a failure, she abandoned the idea and was content to beat her inexperienced rival from the baseline.

Graf, stricken with a succession of injuries in recent years, feels fit for the first time in a long while and is buoyed up by her success in Paris last month.

IT WAS NOT A VICTORY she had banked on, having viewed Wimbledon as a better proposition in what amounts to a comeback year.

"I don't think winning in Paris changed my motivation or my goals at all, except that maybe it means I don't have to achieve so much here. Maybe that made it easier now," she said.

The German, who won her first Wimbledon title in 1988, refused to be drawn on the contentious issue of equal pay for women at grand slam events -- the U.S. Open is the only one of the four that pays the same to both sexes -- but admitted there is much more power now in the women's game.

Steffi Graf had an easy day to begin this year's Wimbledon.(AP)

"The players are fitter. They have more power and strength. The racket evolution has helped but more players are getting into good shape," she said.

Being able to train more now that she is fit again has helped her, too, Graf added.

But easier though Wimbledon may turn out to be for her, Graf has taken on an added burden this time - playing mixed doubles with John McEnroe.

She is nervous about it and felt that being labeled a "goddess" by the American in his weekend newspaper article has not helped.

"I appreciate it but I hope it doesn't make me more nervous playing with him," she said. "I'll be nervous anyway because it is something I have wanted to do for a long time.

"I admire his talents so much. He is the one player I most enjoyed watching."

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