Caroline Wozniacki has lived up to her star billing with a sweeping Australian Open first-round victory.
Bidding to reclaim her mantle as the game's best female player, the second-seeded Dane powered past Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-2 6-3.
Wozniacki is hoping to claim her first grand slam title after making the US Open decider twice and winning last year's WTA finals crown in October.
She was all class against world No.44 Buzarnescu, making just eight unforced errors for the match.
Buzarnescu, runner-up at the Hobart International, actually hit more winners but Wozniacki kept her composure.
"She's had a great year and is on her way to the top 50 and made her first final so I knew she would be tough," 27-year-old Wozniacki said.
"I'm happy to be through. It was not an easy match. Maybe on paper it looks easy, but it wasn't.
"(Buzarnescu is a) tricky lefty opponent with a lot of confidence. I'm just happy to be through really."
Wozniacki last held the top ranking six years ago but injury free and with her personal life in order, she's back to her best.
After reaching the final of last week's Auckland Open, a strong run at Melbourne Park could result in the 2011 semi-finalist leapfrogging Simona Halep to reclaim top spot.
"I'm happy with the way I'm playing and will hopefully play well every match and that will be good enough," she said.
Wozniacki will next play Croatian Jana Fett.
Her projected semi-final opponent, Elina Svitolina, also avoided a banana skin on Monday night.
The fourth seed defeated Serbian qualifier Ivana Jorovic 6-3 6-2 in one hour and 12 minutes, progressing to a second round match-up with Katerina Siniakova.
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