Roger Federer set pulses racing for around 40 minutes as Wimbledon debutant Lloyd Harris threatened to overthrow the established order before eventually succumbing to a 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 first-round defeat.

Contesting his 108th match at the All England Club, the eight-times champion had been expected to ease to his 96th win at the grasscourt major considering he was facing an opponent who had yet to win a match on the green stuff.

However, the South African came out swinging to break the mighty Federer serve in the sixth game and held on to the advantage to seal the first set when the Swiss swiped a backhand long.

When Federer fired a double fault in the first game of the second set and followed that up by netting an easy volley, the gasps grew louder on Centre Court.

But if Harris harboured any hopes of an famous win his dreams were crushed brutally over the next three sets.

The second seed dropped only five further games as he sealed victory with his ninth ace to set up a second-round match with Britain’s Jay Clarke, who won his first grand slam match against American qualifier Noah Rubin 4-6 7-5 6-4 6-4.

Earlier, fifth-seeded French Open runner-up Dominic Thiem crashed out in the first round after having to retire at the same stage last year, losing 6-7 (7-4) 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 6-0 to American Sam Querrey.

Former world No.8 Marcos Baghdatis, who is set to retire after the tournament, joined Querrey in the next round after beating Canada’s Brayden Schnur 6-2 6-4 6-4.

Japan’s Kei Nishikori, seeded eighth, overcame Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 6-4.