Three-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has won her opening match at the Australian Open.
Osaka, who won the title in Melbourne two years ago, played the first match of the tournament in Rod Laver Arena and beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-2.
The first tournament of this year’s Grand Slam season began after a three-week delay because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Osaka drew a potential tough opening opponent in Pavlyuchenkova, a Russian ranked 39th who reached the quarterfinals in Melbourne three of the past four years. But Osaka breezed through the first set in 21 minutes and barely slowed after that.
Serena Williams will begin her latest bid for a 24th Grand Slam singles title against Laura Siegemund. Serena’s older sister Venus, a seven-time major champion, is first up at Margaret Court Arena against Kirsten Flipkens.
Other women’s Grand Slam singles titlists in action on the opening day are two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and 2019 US Open winner Bianca Andreescu.