MELBOURNE: Former world number one Karolina Pliskova moved smoothly into the second round of the Australian Open with a steady 6-3, 6-4 win over Veronica Cepede Royg on Tuesday.
The tall tattooed Czech number six seed was largely untroubled by her 80th-ranked opponent until serving for the match at 5-3 in the second set.
Pliskova squandered a match point as she was broken by Cepede Royg. But she made no mistake in the next game, breaking the Paraguayan to secure victory in one hour and 32 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
"It got a little bit complicated at the end of the second set," admitted Pliskova, whose identical twin sister Kristyna, ranked 61, is also playing Tuesday.
Karolina made her first Grand Slam quarter-final in Australia last year.
"I think the first round is always the toughest for me," she said. "I'll take it match by match and I think I have a good chance."
The big-serving WTA Tour 2017 ace leader will also be US$700 lighter for the win after powering down seven service winners.
Pliskova announced on Twitter before the match that she would donate US$100 to a children's charity for each ace during the tournament.
She will have the chance to add to that in the second round on Thursday where she will face either Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil or Australian wildcard Lizette Cabrera.