Tennis: Caroline Wozniacki began her latest bid for a maiden Grand Slam title with a crushing defeat of local hope Anastasia Rodionova under the lights at Melbourne Park today. The Dane recorded a 6-2 6-1 victory which silenced the partisan crowd on Rod Laver Arena.
The world number one quickly broke the 103rd-ranked Australian's serve and then her spirit as she bullied her from the baseline to win their first-round match in 76 minutes.
Rodionova had her chances, and will rue a rash of errors which cost her dear. She could have taken the first break at 2-2 in the opening set, but lost four successive points to allow Wozniacki to level and retain her serve.
Afterwards Wozniacki was relieved that she wasn't hampered by the wrist injury sustained at the recent Sydney International.
"I was a little bit nervous about my wrist, I was so happy I could play full out today," she said.
Wozniacki's opponent in round two will be Georgia's Anna Tatishvili, victor over 15-year-old Australian Ashleigh Barty.
Prior to Wozniacki's exhibition of power, Victoria Azarenkaled another quintet of leading women cruising through to the second round.
Azarenka, the third seed, thrashed Britain's Heather Watsonin a ruthless display on Rod Laver Arena to join defending champion Kim Clijsters, last year's beaten finalist Li Na, eighth seed Agnieszka Radwanskaand 10th seed Francesca Schiavonein posting opening-day wins.
Azarenka dropped the opening game to 19-year-old Watson from Guernsey but then ran through the next 12 to secure a 6-1 6-0 win.
The Belarusian was satisfied with her display after only arriving in Melbourne at the weekend following her win in the Sydney event last week.
She said: "The score looks easy but to play the match is never easy, especially for me coming here only on Saturday. I only hit once before the match and the first time I hit on centre court was this morning. So I think it was a good performance but there are still a few things I have to work on to be better in the second round."
Azarenka is among the favourites for the title after winning in Sydney last week, but she dismissed talk of breaking through and winning her first grand slam, adding: "I am not really approaching it that way, I'm approaching it day by day because every day is different.
"Sometimes you feel great, sometimes you feel sleepy and sometimes you feel crazy energetic. It's really important how well you take each moment."
Clijsterslooked rusty in her win over Maria Joao Koehler, a qualifier from Portugal.
The 11th-seeded Belgian missed the majority of the second half of last season through injury and then had to pull out of the Brisbane International warm-up event with a hip injury.
And her usual fluency was lacking although she managed to advance courtesy of a 7-5 6-1 triumph.
China's Li, who became the first Asian player to win a grand slam when she claimed the French Open crown last June, beat Ksenia Pervak6-3 6-1, Schiavonesaw off Laura Pous-Tio6-1 6-3 and Radwanskaedged out American Bethanie Mattek-Sands6-7 (12/10) 6-4 6-2.
There were some seeds to fall early though.
Number 19 Flavia Pennettawas upset by qualifier Nina Bratchikova, losing 6-3 1-6 6-2, while Lucie Safarova, seeded 24, was beaten 6-2 6-4 by American Christina McHale.
Yanina Wickmayeralso lost later in the day, the 28th seed going down in straight sets to Galina Voskoboeva.