Serena Williams destroyed unseeded Zuzana Ondraskova 6-0 6-0 to reachthe second round of the Stuttgart Grand Prix in vintage style.
The sixth seed needed only 47 minutes to blow away her Czech opponent at the $650,000 indoor tournament.
"I thought I played really well," Williams told reporters after brushing aside Ondraskova, a late replacement for the injured Elena Bovina.
"I'm just glad to be back," added the American, who has not played at the tournament since 1999 when it was held at Filderstadt.
Holder Nadia Petrova had to put a poor start behind her to beat German wildcard Tatjana Malek 2-6 6-1 6-1.
The Russian dropped her serve twice in the first set, conceding it in 32 minutes at the Porsche Arena via a series of unforced errors.
Seventh seed Petrova improved markedly in the second, keeping Malek pinned back with her more powerful groundstrokes as she raced into a 5-0 lead.
The deciding set was also one-sided as Petrova wrapped up victory in 93 minutes on her second match point.
Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska beat Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli 0-6 6-2 6-1 while Elena Dementieva of Russia overcame former world number one Amelie Mauresmo 6-2 7-5. - DDNews India
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