Defending champion Jannik Sinner twice fought back from a set down to clinch a victory past Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic and avoid a huge shocker in the Wimbledon first round on Monday.

The world number one was in danger of suffering a second successive early Grand Slam exit, after his second-round loss at the French Open last month, but he recovered to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 6-3 on Centre Court.

Sinner would have been the first defending champion to lose in the Wimbledon first round since Lleyton Hewitt in 2003, but he will instead face Portugal's Nuno Borges on Wednesday for a place in the last 32.

"It was a very, very different feeling," Sinner said in his on-court interview when asked how starting his Wimbledon title defense compared to a regular match.

"There were a lot of nerves when I went down the stairs to the court, knowing that it's such a prestigious court. Coming here as defending champion means a lot to me."