By Chris Davies
January 21 2004

Venus Williams announced herself back onto the tour with her first match in six months reaching the second round along with Kim Clijsters Williams, seeded three, has not played since a stomach injury flared up at Wimbledon, where she lost in the final to her sister Serena.

Harkleroad who is one to watch out in years to come could not manage to force her game on the world number 11 losing the match 6-2 6-1.

But there was a slight concern for Williams, who twisted an ankle in the first set.
"I was going for my swing volley and twisted my right ankle," she said.

"I'll monitor it, see how it goes - I'm not expecting it'll cause any problems."

World number 2 Kim Clijsters also crusied into round two 6-3, 6-2 win over Marlene Weingartner. Clijsters who is currently recovering from a ankle injury showed no signs of the injury but did produce 27 unforced errors and 5 double faults.

Weingartner who beat defending champion Jennifer Capriati at this stage last year could not repeat the magic of a huge upset.

Clijsters will next play Maria Elena Camerin after the Italian trounced Milagros Sequera of Venezuela 6-2, 6-2 in her first-round match.

Clijsters said afterwards she had feared she would be ruled out of the season's first Grand Slam and was pleased to have felt no adverse reaction to her injury.

Anastasia Myskina who is an outsider for this title overcame tricky Swedish 19-year old Sofia Arvidsson, 6-2, 7-5.

And the rest of the women's seeds enjoyed a good day as play went to the form book.
Ai Sugiyama and Paola Suarez had comfortable straight sets wins to reach the second round.

Chanda Rubin who is having a difficult time finding her game overcame Swedens Asa Svensson in a tight 3 set battle, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Patty Schnyder, the 22nd seed, was also taken to a deciding set, but eventually beat Angelique Widjaja 6-3 5-7 6-3. And Russian 16-year-old Maria Sharapova, seeded 28th, spoiled the 28th birthday celebrations of Spain's Conchita Martinez Granados, beating her 6-4, 6-3.