Madison Keys launched her Australian Open title defence with a 7-6(6) 6-1 win over Ukrainian Grand Slam debutant Oleksandra Oliynykova to reach the second round at Melbourne Park on Tuesday.
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Keys found herself in trouble early on at Rod Laver Arena, conceding a double break with untimely double faults, and while she drew level at 4-4 the American was then dragged into a tiebreak where Oliynykova caused more chaos with her deep, looping shots.
The plucky Ukrainian brought up two set points but Keys erased the deficit with some trademark big-hitting to eventually snatch a tense tiebreak, punctuating her escape with a roar.
The shift in momentum was confirmed when ninth seed Keys went ahead 3-0 in the second set and the 30-year-old wrapped up the win on serve to set up a second-round meeting with fellow American Ashlyn Krueger.
PRECISION-SERVING FORMER FINALIST RYBAKINA POWERS ON IN MELBOURNE
Former finalist Elena Rybakina warned Tuesday if her serve was firing she would be a threat at the Australian Open, after reinforcing her title credentials with a comfortable first-round victory.
The fifth seed, who lost the 2023 final in three tough sets to Aryna Sabalenka, sent Slovenia's Kaja Juvan packing 6-4, 6-3 with her serve proving a potent weapon.
Rybakina won 83 per cent of her first-serve points to keep up her record of safely negotiating the first hurdle at every Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open.
"No matter who is on the other side, if the serve is going, then it's perfect," she said after routinely racing to 40-0 leads and holding to love three times.
"Of course, little things (to work on) on the serve. Maybe adjust, be better in the first few shots of the rally, then we will see how it's going to go.
"But I'm happy with the serve, it really worked today."
It was her second serve that truly separated her from Juvan, winning 10 of 18 points behind it and not facing a break point until the final game of the match.
Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022, faces France's Varvara Gracheva next.
"We played before. I think she's a dangerous player. She can play really well on the baseline. She can get good serves," Rybakina said.