Sexy Dinara Safina as knee injury flares up

Knee problem: Dinara Safina, of Russia, struggled on the way to her first-round singles victory against Lourdes Dominguez Lino

A 7-5, 6-3 defeat of Spain's Lourdes Dominguez Lino on Court No 1 was not as comfortable as expected and Safina's long-term participation in this tournament could be in doubt after her knee injury flared up in the second set.

"I have been having problems for two months with my left knee and at the end of the second set it was too painful," she said, although she refused to entertain suggestions that it might force her to withdraw.

Her ranking may be safe whatever her performance this fortnight but Safina needs to lift a major title, after being the bridesmaid in Melbourne and Paris, and renounce membership of the exclusive club she shares with Jelena Jankovic – they are the two players who have been No 1 and not won a grand slam.

Last month's defeat in Roland Garros by Svetlana Kuznetsova still haunts Safina, who has not watched the match. "I have to forget it," she says. "It's not the way I want to play but on the other hand I need to remember what I did wrong. I made the same mistake two years in a row, getting stressed on the day before, so maybe third time I will learn."

A victory that took 1hr 41min over a player ranked 72 in the world does not send out the statement of intent she might have hoped for, especially as she is yet to reach the second week in seven previous visits to SW19. She might, however, take heart from her brother Marat, himself a former world No 1, who made his only semi-final appearance at Wimbledon 12 months ago at the ninth time of asking.

Even though Serena Williams has stopped questioning Safina's right to top billing, saying on Monday that she has been "really consistent in the last couple of months", the No 2 seed will not be too worried about the Russian's form with sister Venus lying in wait should Safina make it as far of the semi-finals.

Ultimately, however, players are remembered for the trophies they collect, not the ranking points, but Safina needs to take one match at a time, with 33 year-old Paraguayan Rossana De Los Rios next up.

Former world No 1 Ana Ivanovic survived a scare to defeat the Czech Republic’s Lucia Hradecka late on Tuesday night. The 13th seed from Serbia saved two match points as she came through 5-7, 6-2, 8-6 to set up a meeting with Italy’s Sara Errani.