4-1 soon became 5-1 as the former world number one was able to apply enough pressure to ware down her Japanese counterpart.

Maria Sharapova needed just 73 minutes to completely dismantle WTA Rising Star Nao Hibino 6-1, 6-3 at the 2016 Australian Open.

After withdrawing from the Brisbane International with a forearm injury, Sharapova was delighted with such a straightforward progression against her first-time opponent.

But while Hibino was making her Grand Slam debut at Margaret Court Arena, Sharapova was commencing her 13th Australian Open campaign - and it showed as she broke in only the second game and again in the sixth to stamp her early authority. "No matter how much you train, it's always different when you walk out on to the court".

"It's definitely a relief to get that first one out of the way".

"Just because you're successful for a certain period of time from a country, doesn't mean there's a younger generation coming up right behind them that's expected and mandatory to do well", she told reporters.

Grunting at full volume, the Russian five-time Grand Slam victor was in total control as she raced to a 3-0 lead in just 10 minutes. Shortly after holding, Hibino saved two match points in Sharapova's next service game before earning a surprise break to close the gap to just two games and a break. But it was only delaying the inevitable and she eventually succumbed.

Serena also made a positive return to competitive tennis, four months after a heartbreaking defeat in the US Open semi-finals ended her bid for a rare calendar-year Grand Slam. That's impressive. She never let in, never gave up. "I'm sure she'll have a great future ahead of her".

The trouble-free performance was a boost for Sharapova whose latter half of 2015 was wrecked by injuries.

Despite this she managed two tournament wins (Brisbane and Rome), with a 39-9 win-loss record for the season.

The 28-year-old could be forgiven for instead having thoughts of potential quarter-final opponent Serena Williams in the back of her mind.