Play began on Centre Court at the Wimbledon tennis championships on schedule after a morning of rain showers in south London on Monday.

Men's champion Roger Federer began his first round match against France's Richard Gasquet shortly after 1200 GMT.

Play got underway at the same time on the outer courts following a delay of one hour caused by the rain.

Monday's weather forecast is for more rain in the afternoon with some brighter spells later in the day.

Federer took on French 20-year-old Gasquet who almost beat the Swiss world No. 1 at Halle earlier this month and won last week's warm-up event in Nottingham.

"He reminds me a bit of me sometimes," said Federer, who needed one win to break Bjorn Borg's record of 41 consecutive victories on grass. "It's definitely a tricky little first round."

Women's second seed Kim Clijsters was also among those in action.

Clijsters faced Russian Vera Zvonareva, who arrived in London on the back of her success at last week's Edgbaston tournament.

Third seed and double French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne, who is seeking to avoid a repeat of her first round exit last year faces China's Meng Juan while Switzerland's 1997 champion Martina Hingis, returning to Wimbledon for the first time in five years, is also in action against Olga Savchuk of Ukraine.

Other men's seeds in action include number four David Nalbandian of Argentina, number seven Mario Ancic of Croatia and and number eight James Blake of the United States.

Briton Tim Henman, who could face Federer in the second round, is scheduled on court one after Clijsters for his match with Swede Robin Soderling.