Melbourne, Australia – Defending women's champion Kim seeded Victoria Azarenka were opening-day winners at the 2012 Australian Open on Monday.
The 11th-seeded Clijsters, who struggled through an injury-filled 2011 campaign following her initial Melbourne triumph, downed Maria Joao Koehler 7-5, 6-1.
Azarenka made quick work of Britain's Heather Watson, earning a 6-1, 6-0 straight-set victory at Rod Laver Arena. She will look to improve upon last year's fourth-round finish in Melbourne. Her highest finish at this tournament came in the form of a quarter-final defeat in 2010.
Fifth-seeded Li Na of China ousted Ksenia Pervak 6-3, 6-1 at Hisense Arena. Eight-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska had a slightly rougher go in her first match at Melbourne, earning a hard-fought 6-7 (10-12), 6-4, 6-2 win over American Bethanie Mattek-Sands while 10th-seeded Francesca Schiavone earned an easy 6-1, 6-3 victory over Laura Pous-Tio.
Peng Shuai, seeded 16th, took a 6-3, 6-4 over Aravane Rezai. Early upsets saw Russia's Nina Bratchikova take down 19th-ranked Flavia Pennetta, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 and American Christina McHale beat 24th-seeded Lucie Safarova 6-2, 6-4.
Also an early winner on Monday was 26th-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues, who recorded a 6-3, 6-3 win over Eva Birnerova. Additionally, Lesia Tsurenko topped Arantxa Rus 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, Eleni Daniilidou breezed by Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-3, 6-2, Australia's own Casey Dellacqua downed Bojana Jovanovski 6-3, 6-2, 20th-seeded Daniela Hantuchova squeezed past Varvara Lepchenko 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 and Paula Ormaechea bested Simona Halep 6-1, 3-6, 7-5.
Anastasiya Yakimova was also among the winners with a 6-4, 6-1 defeat of Romina Oprandi, as was 22nd-ranked German Julia Goerges, who downed Polona Hercog 6-3, 7-6 (7-3). Petra Cetkovska, ranked 32nd, won 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 over Japan's Ayumi Morita, while Paula Ormaechea ousted Simona Halep 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 and Olga Govortsova ousted Patricia Mayr-Achleitner 6-2, 6-4.
