UPDATE 3.40pm: German duo Sabine Lisicki and Angelique Kerber have complete first-round victories only minutes apart on Day 2 at the Brisbane International.
Fourth seed Angelique Kerber, 24, suvived some second-set jitters to escape with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Georgia’s Anna Tatishvili in her opening round encounter on Showcourt 2 while the unseeded Lisicki raced past Czech Lucie Safarova 6-2, 6-4 on Pat Rafter Arena.
Kerber, who made an impressive rise to the top 10 in 2012, was forced to battle against the plucky Tatishvili. She will now meet Australian wildcard Olivia Rogowska or qualifier Monica Puig in the second round.
Lisicki, meanwhile, booked a daunting second-round meeting with top-seeded Belarusian Victoria Azarenka.
In other first-round results, Australian qualifier Bojana Bobusic – playing her fourth match in the space of four days – started promisingly but was overcome by Frenchwoman Alize Cornet 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Fifth seed Sara Errani was convincing in her 6-1, 6-3 win over Olga Puchkova, setting up an intriguing second-round clash against former world No.5 Daniela Hantuchova.