Rafael Nadal after his win over Andreas Beck on Tuesday. (Reuters)

London: A pesky bee almost threw Venus Williams off course at Wimbledon on Tuesday but the defending champion regained her composure to swat aside Naomi Cavaday and reach the second round.

Opening Centre Court proceedings on the traditional ‘Ladies Day’, the American ran into some early trouble before she staked her claim for a fifth title at the All England Club with a 7-6, 6-1 win over British hopeful Cavaday.

Her possible semi-final opponent, 2004 champion Maria Sharapova, stepped on court dressed to impress in a stylish white tuxedo complete with shorts. The third seed’s performance on court though was an understated yet assured 6-1, 6-4 win over France’s Stephanie Foretz.

The same could not be said of her Russian compatriot Nikolay Davydenko. The men’s fourth seed has never felt at home on the grass at Wimbledon and suffered his fifth first-round defeat in seven appearances when he went down 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to Germany’s Benjamin Becker.

French Open champion Rafael Nadal showed no signs of slowing down as he recorded his 18th-successive win to dispatch German qualifier Andreas Beck 6-4, 6-4, 7-6.

Before opening the defence of her title, Williams had admitted she knew little about her 197th-ranked wild card opponent.

If Williams had done her homework, she would have known that Cavaday comes to life on the big stage since she almost dumped out former champion Martina Hingis in the first round last June.

Yet on Tuesday, it was hovering bumble bee that caused Williams more alarm than Cavaday during the first few minutes of their match.

Serving at 40-0 up on her opening service game, the seventh seed was irritated by the insect buzzing around her ankles.

She swiped it away but the disruption caused her to lose focus and Cavaday raced through the next five points to break and led 3-1 before Williams eventually restored normal service.

“I was about to serve. I felt something on my leg. I looked down. It was a bee, a big old bumblebee,” said Williams, who reeled off the last six games to book her place in round two.

“I was trying to get it to go off. I don’t know if they sting or not. Do they?

“I didn’t want it to sting me… then I ended up losing that service game, so I guess the bumble bee got me off to a bad start,” she added to hoots of laughter.

After the fashion faux pas caused by Serena Williams and Roger Federer on Monday, when the American turned up on a scorching day wearing a raincoat while the men’s top seed opted for a heavy cardigan, Sharapova showed that she had at least dressed for the occasion.

“I was very inspired by menswear this year and every time at Wimbledon I want to do something classy and elegant,” Sharapova said after completing a regulation victory.

“This year I said why don’t we do shorts and I have never worn shorts before at a Grand Slam. There is a place to do it and that’s Wimbledon.”

Nadal chose to let his racket do the talking.

The four-time French Open champion arrived at Wimbledon having claimed his first grass court title at Queen’s Club nine days ago and has been tipped by Swedish great Bjorn Borg to end Federer’s five-year reign this year.

Nadal unleashed 17 aces as he ended left-hander Beck’s Grand Slam debut with the minimum of fuss.

“I’m happy about how I served,” said the 2006 and 2007 runner-up, who fell one ace short of matching his personal record at Wimbledon.

“But today was only the first match. I have to continue improving.” Life could get more difficult for Nadal in the second round as rising Latvian Ernests Gulbis awaits.

French eighth seed Richard Gasquet, who missed his home Grand Slam at Roland Garros through injury, pulled off a straight forward 6-3 6-4 6-2 win over Mardy Fish.