Over on the women's side -- a couple top seeeds would falter in the opening round. But, a couple of Chinese players,  Zhang Shuai and Wang Qiang, were looking to book their spots in the second round.

Australian Open quarterfinalist Zhang Shuai in blue, was facing Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan. After a rain delay Monday, Zhang resumed the suspended match at 5-5 in the first set and grabs the frame 7-5, when her opponent finds the net.
 
The Kazakh would be error-prone in the second, and this return goes long to give Zhang the break.

Then the 27-year-old seals things with an easy putaway at the net, winning it 7-5, 6-2. She will meet her doubles partner Australian Samantha Stosur in the next round.

Asian Games champ to play Suarez-Navarro next

Meanwhile, Asian Games champion Wang Qiang had an easier test in her first round match, when she faced 17-year-old French wildcarder Tessah Andrianjafitrimo.

Wang, in yellow needed 26 minutes to take the first set at love.

The 24-year-old needed another 25 minutes to wrap up a 6-0, 6-0 victory over the French teen, the world No. 74 will next play the 12th-seeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro.  

World No. 1 needs just 42 minutes to advance to Round Two

Top seed Serena Williams would be untroubled in her match with Magdalena Rybarikova. The world number grabs the first set 6-2.

And the American needs just 42 minutes to complete a 6-2, 6-love triumph, as she tries to equal Steffi Graf's Open era record of 22 Grand Slam wins. Serena plays Teliana Pereira of Brazil next.

5th seed withdraws trailing 4-0 in third set to Knapp

That is two-time grand slam winner Victoria Azarenka serving to Italian Karin Knapp, the pair split the opening two sets, and the Italian is leading in the third 1-love, when the Belorussion suffers an injury on this point.

She would get medical attention on her knee.

The former world number one tries to play on, but her mobility is limited and decides to withdraw trailing 4-love in the decider. The Italian advances and will play Latvia' s Anastasija Sevastova next.

Other seeds falling include World No. 3 Angelique Kerber, the German falling Dutch Kiki Bertens. Former world number one Jelena Jankovic was beaten by Germany's Tatjana Maria. And another Chinese player Zheng Saisai was ousted in straight sets by No. 22 seed Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.