WIMBLEDON, England (AP) – It took awhile for Andre Agassi to polish his postmatch ritual. Once at Wimbledon several Grand Slam titles ago, he celebrated a victory by clumsily blowing a kiss to British rugby players in the Royal Box.

Now Agassi has the routine down pat. On Tuesday, as always after a win, he gallantly bowed and blew kisses to the four sides of the stadium.

The gesture punctuated his opening-round victory on Centre Court against Britain’s Jamie Delgado, 6-4, 6-0, 5-7, 6-4.

“For me at this stage of my career, it’s quite a feeling to be out there,” said Agassi, 33. “You never really know how many chances you’re going to get again. I feel like as I get older, I have more capacity to embrace those moments.”

Agassi began his 13th Wimbledon with a solid performance against a wild-card ranked No. 456. Delgado’s record in major events is 2-8, but experience taught Agassi not to count on an early-round mismatch.

Seven times he has lost in the opening round of a Grand Slam tournament.

“So little determines a match on grass, let alone a set,” Agassi said. “You’re always on edge until you have the match put away.”

Despite his unease, Agassi is widely regarded as the favorite this year, especially in the wake of defending champion Lleyton Hewitt’s first-round defeat. Agassi won his first Grand Slam championship and lone Wimbledon title in 1992, and another triumph at the All England Club 11 years later would be unprecedented.

The longest gap between Wimbledon titles for a man is nine years – by Bill Tilden, who won in 1920, 1921 and 1930.

Agassi is seeded second but has moved ahead of Hewitt atop the rankings, making him the oldest No. 1 player ever. He’s especially proud of the achievement because the rankings are based on performance over the past 12 months.

“To be No. 1 now, to me, is a phenomenal accomplishment at this age,” Agassi said. “You don’t have to just play well, you have to play well and a lot, and that’s not so easy for me anymore.

“I have to really pick and choose and make sure I’m looking out after my body and my mind. To accomplish it now means a lot to me.”

Wimbledon is just Agassi’s ninth tournament this year, but he’s tied with Roger Federer for the most men’s titles with four. That includes the Australian Open, his eighth Grand Slam title.

Delgado acknowledged that he found his opponent’s resume a tad intimidating.

“I don’t know how old he is, but when I was like 13 and stuff, I used to watch him play,” said Delgado, 26. “To actually see him and think it’s my time to play against him, for sure it makes you think. Definitely the first time you see him, you think, “That’s Double A.”‘

AP-ES-06-24-03 1701EDT