First match is breeze for Serena Williams

MELBOURNE, Australia — Serena Williams jumped in where she left off at the Australian Open, returning for the first time since winning the title in 2017 when she was pregnant with her first child.

Williams conceded only five points in the first set and was completely clinical in a 6-0, 6-2 win against Tatjana Maria, who got just two of her first serves into play in the first set and didn’t have a game point until the fourth game of the second set.

“Yeah, I think the last time I was here, I was pregnant and playing at the same time — which is insane,” Williams said. “It’s kind of weird walking back on, by myself this time.”

Williams rates the 2017 title among the best of her 23 Grand Slam singles crowns, given everything that was going on. Since returning to the tour after the birth of Alexis Olympia, Williams has lost finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

At Melbourne Park, she’s now on an eight-match winning streak. She has lost only one of her past 22 matches at the season-opening major, which she has won seven times.

Madison Keys opened her season with a 6-2, 6-2 win against 18-year-old wild-card entry Destanee Aiava. The No. 17-seeded Keys has reached the semifinals or better at three of the past five Grand Slam tournaments.

Seventh-seeded Karolina Pliskova, who won the Brisbane International, continued her streak by beating Czech Karolina Muchova, 63, 6-2.