Twenty-ninth seed Australian Casey Dellacqua made a strong start to her Australian Open campaign, taking the first set against Austria's Yvonne Meusburger.

Third up on Margaret Court Arena, the West Australian needed six set points but eventually took the first set 6-4, before she romped home to win the second set 6-0, completing her victory in just over an hour.

It was a perfect begginning for the crowd favourite Dellacqua, who broke her opponent's serve in the first game of the match and racing to a 4-0 lead. However Meusburger charged back to erase the 29-year-old's double-break not long after, leaving Dellacqua with a battle on her hands at 4-3. She rallied though to break again in the eighth game, but could not convert any of her four set points, allowing Meusburger the chance to again wriggle into the contest as the mercury rose above the forecast 28 degrees. But the very next game Dellacqua again took advantage of the Austrian's weak serve, and closed it out.

31-year-old Meusberger fell apart in the second set, allowing Dellacqua to claim it in just 21 minutes.

Earlier Samantha Stosur has claimed a comfortable first-round victory in her clash against crafty Romanian Monica Nicolescu at Melbourne Park. 

Australian sporting legend Dawn Fraser was one of many compatriots holding their breath as the frequently shaky 30-year-old took to Rod Laver Arena, but the Queenslander kept her composure to claim her tournament opener 6-4 6-1 in 79 minutes.

A possible rematch with her 2010 French Open final opponent Francesca Schiavone had loomed in the second round, but the Italian was swept aside by rising American Coco Vandeweghe 6-2 6-2.

Seeking to progress beyond the fourth round of her home grand slam for the first time in her 13th attempt, a relievewd Stosur reflected on a difficult period early in  her encounter.

"Definitely the start of the match was pretty tricky...but I knew you guys (the crowd) were behind me," Stosur told Channel Seven post-match.

Stosur's first major opening came in the ninth game of the first set, when Nicolescu slammed a volley into the net with the court open. The Australian couldn't capitalise on either of the ensuing break points, but a deft passing shot brought up a third chance not long after though, a chance which the 20th seed was able to convert.

Stosur had an opportunity to break in just the third game of the match, but was unable to capitalise. In the next game Stosur came to the net to save a break point for her opponent. Nicolescu's slice-heavy style led to a slow tempo during much of the early action. It threatened to be a disruptive force for Stosur, whose game is built upon power. But at least for one round, the tormented local hope was up to the task.

With her confidence up, Stosur worked the angles well in the first game of the second set. A scampering Nicolescu dropped her serve, and the Australian closed in on victory.She stepped up her serve and volley game impressively, and the writing was soon on the wall for the world No. 41. A break two games later gave the 2011 US Open champion a 3-0 lead, from which point even she would find it difficult to lose. Having staved off two break points the following game, the Australian could not hold off a third though after committing a double fault at deuce in the following game. But that was neutralised moments later when she again broke 27-year-old Nicolescu's serve. Another hold and yet another break meant that Stosur could seal the deal with minimal fuss.

Wildcard Olivia Rogowska couldn't emulate her feat of reaching the second round at last year's Open, with the Melbourne local soundly beaten by the U.S.'s Nicole Gibbs 6-4 6-1.