adminThird seed Williams (31) pulled out of an exhibition tournament in Thailand last week amid concerns she had not fully recovered from a recent foot surgery.
But she looked in great touch against Lepchenko, who was never able to trouble Williams after squandering five break points in the opening game.
The 15-time grand slam winner quickly found her groove as she romped away to win in 59 minutes.
“My foot didn’t hurt today,” a relieved Williams said. “I was a little nervous, but I was completely fine.
“I was excited to get an early start so just in case I did have any pain I could have tomorrow off, but everything was fine.”
Williams entered the tournament as firm favourite after a stellar second half of 2012, during which she won seven titles, including Wimbledon, the US Open, the WTA Championship and the Olympics.
“I love winning, and I feel like as long as I’m able to win some matches and do well, I’m really motivated to keep going,” she said.
“I just love being out there. I think going through what I went through a year and a half ago (when she suffered from severe foot injuries) really just made me realise that I get to do this and have fun.”
Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova got her campaign off to an impressive start when she downed Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro in straight sets.
Kvitova, the sixth seed, cruised through the first set and opened a 5-3 lead in the second, but was forced to hold off a Suarez Navarro fight back to win 6-3, 6-4 in 90 minutes.
The tall left hander had a stellar 2011 when she broke through to win Wimbledon along with five other WTA titles on her way to a career-high ranking of number two, having started the year at 34.
She lost some ground in 2012, slipping back to number eight in the world, but said she wasn’t concerned that she hadn’t made it to number one despite being so close.
“I know I was pretty close to being number one last year, it was only a few points but that’s still a big step,” she said. “I’m not sad I wasn’t number one, that’s tennis.
“(But) this year I am concentrating more on the grand slams than getting to number one.”
She now plays Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who downed Czech Lucie Hradecka 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
Poland’s Urszula Radwanska defeated Tamira Paszek of Austria 2-6, 6-0, 6-2, while Australian wildcard Jarmila Gajdosova upset Italy’s world number 16 Roberta Vinci 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 to set up a clash with second seed Maria Sharapova.
Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova progressed after seeing off Lourdes Dominguez Lino 7-5, 6-2.
Hometown favourite Samantha Stosur plays her first match tonight against Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson, with the top two seeds Victoria Azarenka and Sharapova not playing until tomorrow. Stosur, who has never made it past the second round in Brisbane, has only had 10 days training leading into the start of the season after having spurs removed from her left ankle last month.
Meanwhile, American Venus Williams gave her comeback hopes a boost with a win at the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia, yesterday.
Williams beat the 60th-ranked Chanelle Scheepers in three sets to help the United States post a 2-1 win over South Africa in their Group B tie at the mixed teams tournament.
Although Kevin Anderson levelled the tie for South Africa with an upset win with over fellow big man John Isner in the men’s singles, the Americans prevailed in straight sets in the deciding mixed doubles.
Williams, playing for the first time since October and just 24 hours after arriving in Australia, made a slow start against Scheepers but steadied to win 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
The seven-time Grand Slam singles winner has climbed the rankings this year as she recovered from a major setback due to illness in 2011.
Williams has not won a Grand Slam singles title since her 2008 success at Wimbledon. She slipped to 134th in the rankings last year after suffering from Sjögren’s Syndrome, a systemic autoimmune disease.
However, the 32-year-old has enjoyed much better fortunes this year.
She won her first singles title since 2010 in Luxembourg, teamed with sister Serena to win gold in the doubles at the London Olympics and finished the season ranked 24th in the world.
Speaking after hitting 44 winners in disposing of Scheepers, Williams said this year was a great platform for the coming 12 months.
“Last year was so awesome for me, winning a tournament and getting to the Olympics and getting a gold,” she said. “I was extremely happy last year and moved up quite a few spots.
“This year is just about building on it and continuing to play deep into the draws and put myself in positions to play well deep into the tournaments.”
Williams, who had to come from a set down against Scheepers, said she still believed she could be a force in the Grand Slams.
“I always feel that way,” she said. “That’s how you have to feel, you have to be positive. I try to be positive and tell myself I’m the best now. It doesn’t happen every time but you’ve got to have that mind frame.”
Anderson, ranked 37th, upset the 14th-ranked Isner 7-6 (7/0), 7-6 (7/5).
The Americans dominated the mixed doubles to win 6-3, 6-2.
And Germany’s Andrea Petkovic has withdrawn from the tournament after injuring her right knee during her singles match on Saturday. — AFP.
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