Angelique Kerber sent packing as Serena, Venus Williams advance

“My balls are always a little bit out and I was not feeling the rhythm that I was before the two weeks, to be honest. That’s for sure. But what can I do? I tried the best out of it. Of course, you feel it if you are not hitting ball two weeks and you are not in the rhythm.”

Asked whether her situation would have caused a rethink about heading to Australia and entering pre-tournament quarantine, the former world No.1 said: “Australia is doing a really good job. Now when you are free, you go outside, everything is open. Of course, it feels like a normal life.

“If I knew the real situation before my trip, I would think maybe twice to come here.”

Angelique Kerber

“But when I’m looking back, of course I was not planned the two weeks hard quarantine. I don’t know, maybe if I knew that before, to stay really two weeks in the hard quarantine without hitting a ball, maybe I would think twice about that.

“I was trying to take the motivation also for this tournament because it’s one of my favourite tournaments. Of course, I knew that we play with a little bit of fans, which is always such a difference than playing with no fans.

“But, of course, if I knew the real situation before my trip, I would think maybe twice to come here.”

Elsewhere in the draw, Ajla Tomljanovic became the first Australian woman to advance into the second round, defeating Japan’s Misaka Doi, to set-up a possible second round showdown with world No.2 Simona Halep.

Tomljanovic was impressive in winning 6-2, 6-1.

Halep meets Australian wildcard Lizette Cabrera in their first round match at Rod Laver Arena on Monday night.

Kerber’s early exit came after Naomi Osaka and the Williams sisters enjoyed a safe passage through to the second round.

French Open champion, Iga Swiatek, 19, was impressive in defeating Arantxa Rus of The Netherlands, 6-1, 6-3, in one hour and 16 minutes.

Leading Australian Open chance Osaka wasted little time in reaching the next stage as the 2021 Australian Open started to crank into gear.

The world No.3 beat Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-2 in 68 minutes on centre court, validating her decision to pull out of her WTA lead-in tournament late last week once she had reached the closing stages.

“I was really nervous coming into this match,” Osaka said on court.

“I just wanted to play well. Thank you everyone.”

The Japanese three-time major winner said players across the tour were adapting to the unusual lead-up to the first major of 2021.

“Physically … everyone, their body is shocked,” she said. “[But] all in all everyone is happy to be here.”

Osaka will next meet Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia.

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Serena Williams defeated Germany’s Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-1.

Williams is again striving to match Margaret Court’s mark of 24 major titles and said she was untroubled by her shoulder niggle, which caused her to withdraw from the WTA semi-final against Ashleigh Barty on the weekend.

“I was happy just to get through it. Wasn’t sure how my serve would be after a little bit of
that shoulder, but it’s feeling good, I’m feeling good,” Williams said.

Meanwhile, Australian wildcard Kimberly Birrell was beaten by Canadian Rebecca Marino. Birrell dropped her opening set to love, and spent one hour and 44 minutes on court, losing 6-0, 7-6 (11-9).