With one former women’s No. 1 making an early exit and the current one not playing until Tuesday, it was just as well that Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin came back to give the Australian Open some first-day lustre on a rainy, dreary day at Melbourne Park. Former top-ranked Maria Sharapova was a surprise 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4 loser Monday to fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko.
U.S. Open champion Clijsters, also a former No. 1 and making a return to the Australian Open in her sixth tournament back from retirement, easily won her first-round match 6-0, 6-4 over Canadian qualifier Valerie Tetreault.
Later Monday, another former No. 1 also on the comeback trail, seven-time Grand Slam singles winner Justine Henin, advanced with a 6-4, 6-3 win over fellow Belgian Kirsten Flipkens. Henin lost to Clijsters in the Brisbane International final 10 days ago in her return to the tour.
Serena Williams started the defence of her Australian Open title with a dominating 6-2, 6-1 win Tuesday over Polish teenager Urszula Radwanska.
Williams also only lost three games in her previous match at Melbourne Park: a 6-0, 6-3 win over now No. 2-ranked Dinara Safina in last year’s final.
“It’s such a great experience coming back, especially with my last moment out here holding up the trophy,” she said. “It’s one of my favourite Slams. I tend to do really well here.”
Williams, troubled by a sore knee in a straight-sets loss to Russia's Elena Dementieva in Friday's Sydney International final, was never threatened by the 72nd-ranked Radwanska, clubbing 26 winners as she raced through the second set in just 33 minutes.
She appeared in no discomfort, however, in dispatching the 72nd-ranked Radwanska, the younger sister of world number 10 Agnieszka.
"Yeah, I've been having it strapped all week, all last week as well," she said. "So just keep it up and making sure I'm able to keep moving as best as I can. It's to support my hamstring ... just to make sure that I don't have a Sydney moment."
Williams will next play the winner of the match between fellow American Jill Craybas and Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova.
Serbia's Ana Ivanovic took another small but important step in a long trek she hopes will take her back to the top of world tennis when she easily won her first round match.
Her 6-2 6-3 victory over American Shenay Perry came as no real surprise but there was no mistaking the sense of relief as she eased into the second round at Melbourne Park.
"It was very good, I was pleased with the way I played," she said. "The conditions were very tough. It was very cold and windy and a lot different than Brisbane or what I been used to. But I just tried to work my way through, just taking time, try to stay composed. I thought I played well and served good."
At her most recent Grand Slam appearance, last year's US Open, Ivanovic was bundled out in the first round. It was her worst performance at any of the majors and epitomised her free-fall down the world rankings.
However, she has started 2010 with renewed hope, enlisting the help of coach Darren Cahill, who guided Andre Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt, and making the semi-finals at the Brisbane International.
There were some familiar problems in her match against Perry and she struggled to hold serve in the swirling conditions but the 20th seed kept her cool to complete a confidence-boosting win.
"I'm very happy to have victory, because she had lot of matches already. She's a dangerous opponent," added Ivanovic. "She likes to come in and serve and volley and doesn't give you much rhythm or time."
Local hope Samantha Stosur did her fragile confidence few favours in a scratchy 6-1 3-6 6-2 in over Chinese qualifier Han Xinyun in the first round of the Australian Open.
Stosur, who has struggled to cope with expectations at home since making the semi-finals at Roland Garros last year, wrapped up the first set quickly but was broken twice after an attack of nerves in the second.
The 13th-seeded Australian dug deep in the decider, however, finding her service game and ultimately possessing too many weapons for the Chinese teenager playing her first Grand Slam match.
"Really happy to get through with the win ... It's always a relief to get through a first round," said the 25-year-old, seeded 13th.
Since her semi-final appearance at the French Open last year, Stosur has taken the mantle from Lleyton Hewitt as the country's greatest hope of producing the first home Grand Slam champion since Chris O'Neil clinched the women's 1978 title.
The pressure of expectations has weighed heavily. After a dismal Hopman Cup campaign followed by a first-round loss to Italy's Flavia Pennetta in last week's Sydney International, she admitted the attention had got to her game.
In the lead-up to Melbourne, Stosur had her face on billboards while tags such as "brittle" were used next to her name in Australian newspapers.
Up a set against the 191st-ranked Han, a teenager playing her first Grand Slam, the moniker fit well when Stosur's serve crumbled to spark a chain of unforced errors and some timid baseline play in the second set.
"I think I served well, except for that second set," said Stosur. "My percentage went way down and then she had some more looks at second serves."
A win under her belt at Rod Laver Arena, the attention has suddenly become more enjoyable for Stosur, who won maiden tour title last year after five runner-up finishes.
"You drive to the courts and you see your face at tram stops, it's a little bit different to what I've ever seen before going to Melbourne Park. Again, it something new," she said.
"I'm enjoying it while the attention's there, because you never know when it can go away. I want to enjoy this and make the most of it."
Stosur next plays the winner of the match between Germany's Kristina Barrois and Uzbekistan's Akgul Amanmuradova.
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