MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)—Ana Ivanovic, hoping to rediscover the form that helped her reach two Grand Slam finals in 2008, started her Australian Open campaign Tuesday with a 6-2, 6-3 win over American Shenay Perry.
Ivanovic was runner-up at the 2008 Australian Open and won the French Open as she rose to No. 1 in the rankings.
But after slumping in 2009 and failing to win a title, the 22-year-old Serb's opening match was put on one of the uncovered courts in overcast conditions.
Ivanovic, who has become a crowd favorite Down Under since she began dating Australian professional golfer Adam Scott, saved four break points in the final game before holding serve to take the match.
The rain that allowed only 26 of the scheduled 64 matches to be completed on the opening day had held off early on day two.
In other results, two seeded French players advanced and one went out.
No. 11 Marion Bartoli had a 6-4, 6-1 win over Rosanna de los Rios and No. 26 Aravane Rezai, who lost to Serena Williams in the Sydney International semifinals last week, beat India's Sania Mirza 6-4, 6-2.
No. 18 Virginie Razzano lost 6-2, 6-3 to Russia's Ekaterina Makarova.