Henin downs Flipkens

Melbourne - Former world number one Justine Henin was in impressive form as she downed fellow Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday.

Playing only her second tournament since making a comeback from an 18-month retirement, the seven-time Grand Slam champion was always in control against her younger rival, wrapping up the match in 73 minutes.

Henin broke Flipkens early in both sets as she cruised to a comfortable victory, hitting 22 clean winners in the match to her opponent's 11.

The 27-year-old, who won the Australian Open in 2004, retired from tennis in May 2008, saying she no longer had the motivation to continue.

But soon after compatriot Kim Clijsters won the US Open on her own comeback last September, Henin announced that she too would return to the sport.

She played her first tournament in Brisbane at the start of the year, losing a thrilling three-set final to Clijsters but showing she had lost few of her skills or her renowned tenacity in her time away.

She will now play the winner of the match between fifth seed Elena Dementieva and Vera Dushevina and could meet Clijsters in the quarter-finals.

Results from day one of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park here Monday (x denotes seeding):

Men's singles

1st round

Ivan Ljubicic (CRO x24) bt Jason Kubler (AUS) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2

Fernando Gonzalez (CHI x11) bt Olivier Rochus (BEL) 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1

Florian Mayer (GER) bt Philipp Petzschner (GER) 0-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2

Andy Roddick (USA x7) bt Thiemo De Bakker (NED) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4

Andy Murray (GBR x5) bt Kevin Anderson (RSA) 6-1, 6-1, 6-2

Wayne Odesnik (USA) bt Blaz Kavcic (SLO) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2

Ivo Karlovic (CRO) bt Radek Stepanek (CZE x13) 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4

Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG x4) bt Michael Russell (USA) 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2

Bernard Tomic (AUS) bt Guillaume Rufin (FRA) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Women's singles

1st round

Dinara Safina (RUS x2) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 6-4, 6-4

Maria Kirilenko (RUS) bt Maria Sharapova (RUS x14) 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-4

Zheng Jie (CHN) bt Peng Shuai (CHN) 0-6, 6-1, 6-2

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) bt Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) 6-2, 6-4

Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR x30) bt Ioana Raluca (ROU) 6-2, 7-6 (8/6)

Yvonne Meusberger (AUT) bt Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2

Elena Baltacha (GBR) bt Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 6-4, 3-6, 7-5

Kim Clijsters (BEL x15) bt Valerie Tetreault (CAN) 6-0, 6-4

Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) bt Alexandra Dulgheru (ROM) 1-6, 7-5, 10-8

Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x3) bt Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) 6-1, 6-2

Flavia Pennetta (ITA x12) bt Anna Chakvedatze (RUS) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP x24) bt Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) 6-0, 6-0

Justine Henin (BEL) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 6-4, 6-3