Serena Williams opens season with comfortable win

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) - Serena Williams opened her season with a 6-2, 6-1 win over fellow American Varvara Lepchenko in the first round of the Brisbane International on Sunday, showing glimpses of the game that made her the most dominant player on the women's tennis tour in 2012.

After saving five break points as she adjusted to a strong breeze in the first game, Williams raced to a 4-0 lead and was rarely troubled by the 21st-ranked Lepchenko.

Williams won 31 of her 32 matches in the second half of last season, including titles at Wimbledon, the Olympics, the U.S. Open and the WTA Championships. She is coming off minor surgery on her big toes, which forced her to withdraw from an exhibition in Thailand.