Reigning US Open champion Naomi Osaka cruised past Australian qualifier Destanee Aiava to reach the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International on Tuesday.
In a battle of two powerful ball strikers, the Japanese was too consistent for her rival, winning 6-3, 6-2 in just 68 minutes.
Osaka burst to prominence when she defeated Serena Williams to win the US Open in September, becoming the first Japanese player to win a grand slam singles title.
She rose to No 4 in the world in October and finished the year ranked fifth.
She was a class above Aiava, who was able to put Osaka under pressure at times, but was unable to do so often enough.
"I felt like I was playing a younger version of me," the 21-year-old Osaka said of her 18-year-old opponent.
"I felt like when I was playing her she sort of matched my power, which was really surprising to me, because there's not that many people that can do that."
New season, same Naomi 💪🏽@Naomi_Osaka_ is decisive in a 6-3 6-2 win over Destanee Aiava behind nine aces, saving six break points.
— #BrisbaneTennis (@BrisbaneTennis) January 1, 2019
She's the first player into the #BrisbaneTennis QFs pic.twitter.com/feA7hTnaRN
Osaka added that she had felt the pressure of going into the match as favourite.
"I was really nervous coming out here because I felt like this is one of the matches I'm expected to win," she said.
"But playing against someone like her who's a bit unpredictable and very strong, it was like one of those moments where I felt like I just have to stay really calm, but I couldn't.
"So I'm just really happy that I could play well."
Earlier, Britain's Johanna Konta sent third seeded American Sloane Stephens packing with a straight sets win.
In a tough first round draw, Konta outlasted the 2017 US Open champion and world No 6 6-4, 6-3.
"She's top 10 and she's had an incredible couple of seasons," Konta said.
"I definitely take a lot of good things from that and ... a bit of a pat on the back for me that I competed well against one of the best players in the world and I came through."
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Konta will take on Alja Tomljanovic for a place in the quarter-finals after the Australian came from a set down to beat Czech Katerina Siniakova 1-6, 6-3, 6-0.
Belarus' Aliaksandra Sasnovich will play top seed and defending champion Elina Svitolina in the second round in a rematch of the 2018 final.
Sasnovich was too consistent for Russian qualifier Anastasia Potapova 6-4, 7-5.
Latvia's eighth seed Anastasija Sevastova had an impressive 6-3, 6-3 win over local favourite Daria Gavrilova, while fourth seeded Czech Petra Kvitova survived a scare to down American Danielle Collins 6-7, 7-6, 6-3.
