Serena Williams looked strong in her first Tour-Level match in over four months on Monday and passed former Daria Gavrilova # 20 6-1, 6-4 in her opening game at the Yarra Valley Classic.

Serena played – and won – an exhibition game against Naomi Osaka last Friday, but her final tour-level game would have to go back to September 28, 2020, exactly 126 days ago when she won her first game. Lap match at Roland Garros before retiring from the race with an Achilles injury.

But on Monday there was no sign of rust against Gavrilova. After two holds at the start of the game, Serena won five games in a row and took the first set. Then, after four more holds to start the second set, Serena broke again 3-2 and the two players held from there until it was all over.

Serena finished the match with almost twice as many winners as casual mistakes, 27 to 15.

“I had the feeling that I was definitely composed, and in a zone, I think,” she said in her interview in court.

“I was just trying to do the things that I was working on.”

Tsvetana Pironkova is waiting for Serena in the third round of the Yarra Valley Classic, who beat number 9, Donna Vekic, 6: 1, 2: 0, 1: 6, 6: 4, 6-2.

Serena has won all five previous games against Pironkova, but her last encounter was a nail bite as she recovered from a set and breakdown to beat her in the 2020 US Open quarterfinals, 4-6, 6-3, 6- 2. The pair were scheduled to return to Roland Garros a few weeks later, but Serena pulled out.

Serena said she could go back and watch some of her US Open games to prepare.

“It’s important for me to just see what she did and what I did,” the former No. 1 told reporters.

“I’m always looking for her. She is such a great story and she is a good person. “

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Serena’s straight set win was a stark contrast to the match just before her at Margaret Court Arena Coco Gauff Squeak past Jil Teichmann after two hours and 45 minutes, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5).

It wasn’t part of the same event, however – Gauff and Teichmann played a first round match from one of the two other WTA 500 events that took place in Melbourne this week, the Gippsland Trophy.

“Today was a tough game,” said Gauff, who originally led Teichmann 6: 3, 4: 2 and 4: 1 in the decision. “I thought I played well the whole game but she definitely improved it in the second set.”

A first meeting with Brit Katie Boulter is waiting for Gauff in her second round game.