‘Super Serena’ returns with 1st round win at Australian Open

Defending champions Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams will be hoping to get the Australian Open off to a sizzling start when they play back-to-back on Rod Laver Arena today.

Williams pulled out of her first match at the Hopman Cup in Perth earlier this month due to knee inflammation, but the 34-year-old moved freely during a testing opener against Giorgi and said it gave her no problems.

Leading into the match the lopsided statistics made the American an overwhelming favourite – she had won 737 tour matches and 69 singles titles to Giorgi’s 248 and one.

Williams, playing her first competitive match since the US Open in September, cast off any doubts about her injured left knee with a hard-fought but convincing 6-4, 7-5 win over Italy’s Camila Giorgi.

Williams said she needed the break to recharge at the end of last season and felt OK about her limited preparation. Djokovic lost only one match at a Grand Slam tournament past year – the French Open final.

Other seeded players advancing included No. 12 Belinda Bencic, who had a 6-3, 6-3 win over Timea Babos, and No. 13 Roberta Vinci, who beat Irina Falconi 6-2, 6-3.

“I think it’s irrelevant how old she is because she’s such a champion with so much experience and so much knowledge about the game”.

Sharapova dropped two service games in the first set, including once when serving at 5-1, but was otherwise consistent except for some over-hit ground strokes.

Williams had a career comeback last season, winning three titles, finding some consistency after a long struggle with illness and finishing the year in the top 10 for the first time since 2010. The world number 90 reached the Australian Open fourth round in 2008.

“If you want to win a Grand Slam, you’re probably going to have to beat Serena”.

Hsieh, the world No90, did her best to get Williams running, even throwing in the odd drop-shot return of serve.

Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russian Federation slips on the court during her second round match against Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016.

Former No.1-ranked Caroline Wozniacki lost 1-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 to Yulia Putintseva, continuing a downward spiral at Melbourne Park that has resulted in her exiting one round earlier each year since she reached the 2011 semifinals. “I’m really pleased how I was able to play”, Federer said.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova also advanced Monday, beating Thai qualifier Luksika Kumkhum to avenge her upset three-set loss in the first round here in 2014.

On the women’s side, No. 3 Garbine Muguruza beat Anett Kontaveit 6-0, 6-4 and No. 7 Angelique Kerber had a 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6), 6-3 win over Misaki Doi.

No. 15 David Goffin of Belgium and No. 9 Dominic Thiem of Austria also won second-round matches.