Kim Clijsters Powers Past Safina

Kim Clijsters is looking to make it two Grand Slam wins in a row in Melbourne over the next fortnight and she made the perfect start as she demolished former world number one Dinara Safina.

The U.S. Open champion was on court just forty four minutes as she stormed to a 6-0 6-0 victory. Safina has been struggled with a back injury over the last twelve months and looked a shadow of her former self.

Safina’s game was littered with errors but Clijsters showed no mercy as she powered through twelve games and demonstrated she is a real contender for the title.

Speaking to the Press Association after the match Clijsters said: "There's probably not much you can say to make her feel any better or that's going to help but I know her well.

"We were talking in the locker room. She's a good girl like that, it's not like she's not going to talk to me for the next two months when I see her on the road.

"That's the sport we play. We step out there with two players and sometimes things like that can happen. But I just hope it's not going to make her confidence go even lower."

Clijsters will now face Carla Suarez Navarro in the second round as the Spaniard came through against Christina McHale 6-4 3-6 4-6.

Wimbledon runner up Vera Zvonareva, who is ranked second in Melbourne, also had a straight forward start to the first Slam of the year as she dropped just three games in her clash with Sybille Bammer.

She came through 6-2 6-1 to set up a clash with Bojana Jovanovski as she saw off Kai-Chen Chang 7-5 6-1.

Jelena Jankovic was also in action earlier today as she saw off a second set tie break from Alla Kudryavtseva.

The seventh seed was in control of the match in the opener as she served up a bagel set before Kudryavtseva hit back.

She forced the second set into a tie break but Jankovic’s nerve held as she edged it 7-5 to take the match 6-0 7-6 (7-5).

She will now face Shuai Peng as she came through 6-2 3-6 6-8 against Ukranian Kateryna Bondarenko.

And there was plenty for the home crowd to cheer about as Samantha Stosur also booked her place in the second round.

The Aussie and fifth seed dropped just two games as she demolished Lauren Davis 6-1 6-1 to set up a clash with Vera Dushevina in the second round.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw