Mauresmo eases into second round

MELBOURNE, Jan 15 (Reuters) Amelie Mauresmo made a comfortable start to her Australian Open defence with a 6-3 6-4 first-round victory over American Shenay Perry today.

The second-sseded Frenchwoman struggled for rhythm throughout the match but was always too strong for the 22-year-old Perry and will next play Russian Olga Poutchkova.

''Overall, it was okay, a good first match for me,'' Mauresmo told a news conference. ''I had some good moments but I should have won the match more quickly. I lost some intensity and aggression at the end but it was only the first round and that can often happen.'' Mauresmo said it had not felt particularly different returning to Melbourne Park, where she won her long awaited first grand slam title 12 months ago.

''It was not really a special feeling for me,'' she said.

''There was a little bit of tension but no added pressure. I felt good to go out on court and defend the title.'' The players exchanged breaks early in the first set before Mauresmo started to find her range with her fluent groundstrokes.

Mauresmo and Perry made a number of unforced errors in cool conditions at Rod Laver Arena but the defending champion broke serve again in the first game of the second set and romped into a 5-1 lead.

The 27-year-old lost her concentration, however, and Perry won three games in a row, causing Mauresmo problems with her scrambling defence and a series of powerful winners from the back of the court.

Perry, a first-round loser in her two previous Australian Opens, sensed a chance to level the match but Mauresmo confidently served out to love, completing victory in 74 minutes.

REUTERS PDS HT0945