Maria Sharapova started her Australian Open campaign in the most commanding fashion, cruising to a straight set victory over Olga Puchkova in the first round.

The Russian took just 55 minutes to ensure herself a place in the second round of the first Grand Slam of the year, with a 6-0, 6-0 result.

Sharapova, who lost to Victoria Azarenka in the finals here last year, rarely put a foot wrong, and quelled any doubts over her fitness.

"I didn't want to focus on the fact I hadn't played a lot of matches," Sharapova said after the win.

"(I) just wanted to focus on just what was ahead of me and really concentrate and, you know, be aggressive.

"I also never faced her before ... so it was just one of those matches where I didn't try to worry about her too much."

Worry she certainly didn't, with Sharapova, who fired 18 winners, saving the only two break points she faced in the match in the first game, before putting on a run of twelve-straight games to complete a "double bagel."

"Overall I was happy with the way I started, considering I didn't play any matches coming in," the Russian beauty added.

A potential third round opponent for Sharapova is Venus Williams, after the American veteran also eased into the second round with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Galina Voskoboeva.

"I don¹t think my opponent played as well as she wanted to," said an ever-modest Williams, who finished the match in under an hour.

In other games, former French Open champion Li Na had no problems in dispatching Sesil Karatantcheva 6-1, 6-3 in 78 minutes.

The Chinese, who left in tears after losing to Kim Clijsters in the fourth round last year, completed the opening round with a big smile on her face following the comfortable win.

"(It is) always tough in first round," Li said. "You just come to the court 50/50. You never know you can beat her or you can lose (to) her."

Li will face Olga Govortsova after the Belarusian beat France's Puline Parmentier 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Home favorite Samantha Stosur did not disappoint the crowd with a straight set 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 win over Chinese Taipei's Kai-Chen Chang.

Fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska also had no problems, knocking out Australian Bojana Bobusic 7-5, 6-0.

Sorana Cirstea of Romania packed off Coco Vanderweghe 6-4, 6-2, taking good advantage of her break points to spell doom for her American opponent.