Former world no.5 Anna Chakvetadze has cruised past third seed Monica Niculescu in straight sets to reach the second round of the Moorilla Hobart International.
The 2007 champion won 6-0 6-4 as she embarks on her latest comeback after a series of setbacks since making the US Open semifinals and reaching her career-high ranking in the same year.
Playing her first match since July, Chakvetadze was broken just once but ground it out to take the second set and win in one hour, 15 minutes.
The 24-year-old has struggled since a frightening break-in at her Moscow home in December 2007, during which she was tied up and her father beaten.
She has endured illness and injury since and collapsed playing Caroline Wozniacki in Dubai last year before missing several tournaments and watching her ranking slip to No.235.
Chakvetadze last year even dabbled in Russian politics, unsuccessfully running for the country’s parliament, the Duma.
There was better news for two other Romanians, with Sorana Cirstea and Simona Halep both notching victories in sometimes windy conditions at the Domain Tennis Centre.
Cirstea beat Ksenia Pervak of Kazakhstan 6-2 7-6 (6), while Halep downed Czech Klara Zakopolova 4-6 6-2 7-5.
Earlier, New Zealander turned Australian Sacha Jones won through to the main draw just days after switching allegiance to the green and gold.
Jones beat Amercian Alison Riske 6-2 6-3.Chakvetadze, who won the tournament in 2007, won the first set 6-0 against the Romanian, while the second was 6-4.