Serena Williams started her 2020 season with a routine win over Camila Giorgi at the Auckland Classic on Tuesday, while Caroline Wozniacki progressed in the penultimate tournament of her career.
After a sluggish start by 23-time grand slam champion Williams, she soon found her groove to defeat the Italian qualifier 6-3, 6-2. She described her first match since losing the US Open final in September as "solid" rather than spectacular.
"I spent a long time off from tournament play, match play, so solid is pretty good. It's a great start to build on," Williams said. "It's really good that I still have some power left in my arms and my legs."
Williams, originally drawn to play two-time grand slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova before the Russian pulled out due to a virus, said her preparation had been helped by playing doubles with Caroline Wozniacki the previous evening, which allowed her to adapt to the blustery Auckland weather.
"I knew it was going to be really tough but I think the doubles really helped," she said. "I got to come out here and play a little bit in these conditions and get used to them."
After more than three months off court, Williams took time to settle and was forced to save an early break point with the first six games all going with serve. But at 3-3 in the first set, Williams found her range and from there on the result was never in doubt.
Auckland is an important tournament for the former world No 1 as she prepares for the Australian Open later in the month with her eyes firmly on a record-equalling 24th grand slam title.
An 8th ace of the day to finish it off! No.1 seed @SerenaWilliams moves into the second round of the @ASB_Classic! 6-3, 6-2 over Giorgi in one hour and eight minutes. pic.twitter.com/jKwhownmz7
— wta (@WTA) January 7, 2020
While Williams is the undisputed face of American tennis, she has been joined in Auckland by the new wave of US tennis stars, headed by tournament third seed Amanda Anisimova, who did not disappoint.
The 18-year-old, who captured world attention by reaching the semi-finals of the French Open last year, needed 78 minutes to dispose of Ukraine's Kateryna Kozlova 6-3, 6-4.
Unlike Williams, Anisimova said she felt quite at home in the Auckland wind.
"I've been training in Miami and it's really the same," she said.
The top five seeds were all in action on Tuesday and along with Williams and Anisimova, Petra Martic, defending champion Julia Goerges and Caroline Wozniacki also progressed to the second round.
It's an opening-round win for @CaroWozniacki at #ASBClassic! 6-1, 6-0 over Paige Mary Hourigan. pic.twitter.com/yJmJuHHgaq
— wta (@WTA) January 7, 2020
Croatian second seed Martic had trouble at the start against 21-year-old American Usue Arconada and dropped the first set before prevailing 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.
Wozniacki cruised against New Zealander Paige Hourigan with a 6-1, 6-0 victory in 53 minutes, while Germany's Goerges came from 2-5 down in the second set to beat Greet Minnen of Belgium 6-1, 7-6.
