From chaos to calm as Williams wins easily

This was quite a return for Serena Williams. Almost as if she never left.

In her first match at the Australian Open since winning the 2017 title while pregnant – and her first official match anywhere since a loss in the chaotic US Open final last September – Williams was at her dominant best, overpowering Tatjana Maria 6-0 6-2 in the first round yesterday.

‘‘I kind of like to jump in the deep end and swim,’’ Williams said in an on-court interview after the 49-minute workout, ‘‘and see what happens.’’

She hadn’t dipped her toe in Grand Slam waters since New York, where everything devolved after Williams was warned for getting coaching, then docked a point for breaking a racket and eventually docked a game for calling the chair umpire ‘‘a thief’’ during the final.

When that match was mentioned by a reporter during Williams’ news conference yesterday, as part of a question about whether coaching should be allowed during matches at majors, she replied: ‘‘I, like, literally have no comment.’’

Truth be told, the match against Maria was not much of a test for Williams, given that the 74th-ranked German entered with an 11-15 record in first-round matches at Grand Slam tournaments, only once has made it as far as the third round at any major and owns a total of one career WTA title after a dozen years on the tour.

Williams, meanwhile, is pursuing an eighth title in Melbourne and 24th Slam trophy overall, which would equal Margaret Court — whose career spanned the amateur and professional eras — for the most in tennis history.

‘‘I have been going for the record [for] what seems like forever now,’’ the 37-year-old Williams said, ‘‘so it doesn’t feel any different.’’

Other seeded winners yesterday included No 7 Karolina Pliskova, No 12 Elise Mertens, No. 13 Anastasija Sevastova and No 17 Madison Keys among the women, plus No 4 Alexander Zverev, No 8 Kei Nishikori, No 11 Borna Coric and No 12 Fabio Fognini among the men.