Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka kicked off their Australian Open campaign in a grand style on Monday as Angelique Kerber was crashed out in the first round by Bernarda Pera.
Serena Williams playing in her 100th match at the Melbourne slam was broken in the opening game but hit back immediately and kept her foot on the pedal in a one-sided contest.
The 39 year-old rallied back to smash 16 winners to defeat unseeded German Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-1 at Rod Laver Arena.
Serena Williams who is bidding to equal Australian Margaret Court’s record for major titles will face Serbia’s Nina Stojanovic in the second round.
Naomi Osaka also cruised into the second round of the Australian Open with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in 68 minutes.
The three-time Grand Slam winner stretched her streak to 15 matches unbeaten including the US Open final dating back to 12 months.
Osaka will face Caroline Garcia of France or Slovenia’s Polona Hercog in the second round.
However, former champion Angelique Kerber lost to American Bernarda Pera 6-0, 6-4 whiles Serena Williams’ older sister Venus Williams ended her four-match losing streak at a majors with a 7-5, 6-2 triumph over Kirsten Flipkens.
Venus, 40, is the oldest woman in this year’s draw and just the sixth player in her 40s to compete at the Australian Open.
Australian Open Results (Women’s singles)
1st round
Bianca Andreescu (CAN) bt Mihaela Buzarnescu (ROM) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
Hsieh Su-wei (TPE) bt Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 7-5, 6-2
Venus Williams (USA) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 7-5, 6-2
Sara Errani (ITA) bt Wang Qiang (CHN x30) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
Marketa Vondrousova (CZE x19) bt Rebecca Peterson (SWE) 2-6, 7-5, 7-5
Rebecca Marino (CAN) bt Kimberly Birrell (AUS) 6-0, 7-6 (11/9)
Zarina Diyas (KAZ) bt Tamara Zidansek (SLO) 6-2, 7-5
Bernarda Pera (USA) bt Angelique Kerber (GER x23) 6-0, 6-4
Ons Jabeur (TUN x27) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) bt Mayo Hibi (JPN) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4
Caroline Garcia (FRA) bt Polona Hercog (SLO) 7-6 (8/6), 6-3
Naomi Osaka (JPN x3) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 6-1, 6-2
Darya Kasatkina (RUS) bt Katie Boulter (GBR) 6-1, 6-4
Anastasia Potapova (RUS) bt Alison Riske (USA x24) 6-2, 6-1
Timea Babos (HUN) bt Ysaline Bonaventure (BEL) 7-6 (7/0), 6-4
Nina Stojanovic (SRB) bt Irina Begu (ROM) 6-3, 6-4
Serena Williams (USA x10) bt Laura Siegemund (GER) 6-1, 6-1
Iga Swiatek (POL x15) bt Arantxa Rus (NED) 6-1, 6-3
Camila Giorgi (ITA) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 6-3, 6-3
Fiona Ferro (FRA) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-4
Veronika Kudermetova (RUS x32) bt Marta Kostyuk (UKR) 6-2, 7-6 (7/5)
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) bt Misaki Doi (JPN) 6-2, 6-1
