Angelique Kerber has wasted little time in the blazing sun in storming into the Australian Open second round at Melbourne Park.
The world No.2 and reigning Wimbledon champion needed just 72 minutes on Rod Laver Arena to dispose of Slovenian Polona Hercog 6-2 6-2 on Monday.
Champion in 2016 and a semi-finalist last year, Kerber will play Brazilian qualifier Beatriz Haddad Maia on Wednesday for a place in the last 32.
"I have to say it's a really special court, a really special place for me. Every time I walk onto this court I have great memories," the German said.
"Especially after 2017, coming back and winning my third major at Wimbledon, it was one of the best feelings. We now have 2019 and I want to continue playing how I played last year."
Kerber wasn't the only former champion to make a statement on Monday.
Maria Sharapova didn't drop a game in advancing 6-0 6-0 over British qualifier Harriet Dart to book a second-round date with Swede Rebecca Peterson.
Fifth seed Sloane Stephens was also untroubled, the 2017 US Open champion seeing off fellow American Taylor Townsend 6-4 6-2.
Rising Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka lived up to her pre-tournament billing with an emphatic 6-1 6-4 win over Russian qualifier Anna Kalinskaya.
Considered by many as a title dark horse, Sabalenka has soared from outside the top 70 to world No.11 since losing to Ashleigh Barty in the opening round last year, collecting her first two career titles in a breakout 2018 season.
The 20-year-old next plays Britain's Katie Boulter, who created a small slice of history in her 6-0 4-6 7-6 (10-6) win over Russian Ekaterina Makarova.
Boulter celebrated prematurely believing she'd already won when she led 7-4 in the third-set tiebreaker.
But a change in the rules for the Open means matches that reach a deciding breaker will now be decided by first to 10 points .
Boulter was eventually the first player to win such a contest.
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