Melbourne: Serena Williams got her latest Australian Open campaign off to a flying start with a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 win over China's Yuan Meng in the first round on Tuesday.
Serena did not need to produce her very best on a sweltering summer day but was still far too strong for Yuan despite playing conservatively.
The American cruised to victory in 75 minutes even though she made 31 unforced errors in her attempts to shorten the points and took time between points to catch her breath.
"It was a little hot for me today but I was able to just take my time and play a lot slower, not giving a 1,000 per cent," she said.
"It was pretty important for me not to go crazy out there, try and conserve some energy."
Serena won the Australian Open in 2003, 2005 and 2007 but said she is not relying on her sequence of winning every two years to help her this time.
"I am superstitious but is there anything to the odd theory? No," she said. "One year I wasn't able to come back and defend my title.
"One year I went crazy. A couple years I went completely crazy. So hopefully I'll be able to stay focused this year."
Dementieva beats Barrois
Scorching heat and a red-hot winning streak almost ended world No. 4 Elena Dementieva's assault on the Australian Open in the first round on Tuesday.
Dementieva, who is unbeaten in 2009 after claiming the Auckland and Sydney titles, withstood a ferocious second set counter-attack from Germany's Kristina Barrois in temperatures pushing 40 degrees Celsius to record a 7-6, 2-6, 6-1 victory.
The victory extended the Russian's winning streak to 11, though the Beijing Olympic champion said her success so far this year had almost derailed her campaign at Melbourne Park before it had a chance to advance deep into the tournament.
"I think it was very tough match especially because of the weather conditions," Dementieva said.
"And it was not easy for me to come here after playing so many matches in a row. I'm sure I wouldn't have minded one or two extra days (off). But those are kind of days you have to survive. I'm just very glad I was able to do it."
Dementieva, who lost in the first round three years ago on the same court, said that disappointment had flashed back into her memory after Barrois had run riot in the second set and then held two break points in the first game of the third.
"I was thinking about it. I was like, 'Oh, no, it's going to happen again,'" Dementieva added of her 2006 first round exit against another German, Julia Schruff.
"Yeah, I was worried. I think she (Barrois) played really well, had nothing to lose (and was) really going for the shot, making some winners and great serve. It was a really tough match to play. So, yeah, I was worried."
While the 27-year-old was pleased with her win, she would now be looking to ensure she recovered sufficiently for her second round clash with either Russia's Vera Dushevina or Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic, who play later on Tuesday.
"It's all about getting some recovery and being basically ready to play," Dementieva said.
"I've got a lot of matches and I've got my confidence. I feel like it was a good preparation so far, so it's just a matter of how fresh I can be for the rest of the tournament."
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