Venus Williams misses her kid sister at the Australian Open. The hotel room is quiet, and the phone doesn't ring.

The rest of the women's field doesn't exactly share the sentiment.

Kim Clijsters hits a return against Marlene Weingartner during their first round match at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Clijsters won 6-3, 6-2. [AFP]

Serena Williams, the defending champion, skipped the year's first major tournament to recover from knee surgery, clearing the way for others. Venus Williams could be the one to take advantage.

She returned Tuesday after an absence of more than six months because of an abdominal injury, showing little rust and a lot of composure in a 6-2, 6-1 win over Ashley Harkleroad.

"Afterward, it was just like a breath of fresh air: 'Oh, yes, I'm back,'" she said.

Kim Clijsters, seeded second, has some injury problems of her own but had no trouble in beating Germany's Marlene Weingartner 6-3, 6-2. Other women advancing were No. 6 Anastasia Myskina, No. 8 Ai Sugiyama and No. 9 Chanda Rubin.

Among the men, No. 5 Guillermo Coria was ousted, but moving on were No. 2 Roger Federer, No. 3 Juan Carlos Ferrero, No. 8 David Nalbandian and No. 10 Mark Philippoussis.

Venus Williams, seeded third, has won four Grand Slam titles and lost in the final to Serena in five of six, most recently at Wimbledon in July. Neither played in an official tournament until this week.

"It's just not the same. We're always together," Venus said. "It's like a piece of the link is missing."

She has time to think about her own game.

"I'm alone in the room," she said. "I miss her. No doubles."

Serena, who had surgery in August, was on the phone during the Harkleroad match, exchanging text messages with mother Oracene Williams, a coach for both sisters.

The messages from Down Under were good.

Venus converted five of six break-point chances and gave Harkleroad only one look at a break, which she conceded with a double-fault. She served at up to 119 mph, although she did double-fault five times.

Venus twisted her right ankle in the fourth game but said it was minor.

"I was pretty clear on what I wanted to do," Venus said. "It was really just a matter of me going out there and executing."

She's learned the value of patience.

Hungary's Aniko Kapros celebrates her win over Australia's Samantha Stosur in their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne January 21, 2004. Kapros won the match 6-3 6-1. [Reuters]

"In the past, I have kind of rushed too much," she said. "And that doesn't work."

Clijsters entered the tournament with a sprained left ankle that sidelined her since the Hopman Cup. The Belgian didn't look troubled in a 6-3, 6-2 win over Weingartner, who upset 2001-02 champion Jennifer Capriati in the first round last year.

"I was very, very happy to be out there," Clijsters said. "I didn't really have any problems with the ankle, and I think today that was the most important thing."

Federer, the Wimbledon champion, and Juan Carlos Ferrero, the French Open (news - web sites) winner, advanced comfortably, meaning the champs from the four majors reached the second round.

Andre Agassi, the defending champ at the Australian Open, and top-ranked Andy Roddick, the U.S. Open winner play Czech opponents Wednesday on center court. Agassi plays Tomas Berdych; Roddick faces Bohdan Ulihrach.

Federer scored a 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 win over Alex Bogomolov Jr. The Swiss star reeled off seven consecutive games and will next meet another U.S. qualifier. He plays Jeff Morrison, who beat Dennis van Scheppingen 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.

No. 3 Ferrero routed fellow Spaniard Albert Montanes 6-0, 6-1, 6-1. Nalbandian and No. 11 Tim Henman also won in straight sets.

Philippoussis, a Wimbledon finalist, ousted Thomas Johansson 7-6 (6), 6-2, 7-6 (4). Philippoussis' cousin had a heart attack in the stadium restroom during the match. He said his cousin was in the hospital and unconscious.

This was Johansson's first match at a Grand Slam tournament since he won the 2002 Australian Open. The Swede sat out all of 2003 with an injured knee.

Lleyton Hewitt, a U.S. Open and Wimbledon champion, was leading Cecil Mamiit 6-2, 6-4, 0-1 when the American retired after crashing into the umpire's chair. Mamiit's right ankle was treated, and he served in the next game before withdrawing.

"I've never seen anything like that before," Hewitt said. "I think I'd worked into a position that was going to be hard for him to get out of anyway."

Mamiit was hurt chasing a drop shot, and Hewitt asked him how he was feeling.

"It's never a way you want to win a match," Hewitt said.

Coria was among six seeded men to lose. Greg Rusedski was beaten 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 by No. 26 Albert Costa in what was most likely his last match before he faces an ATP drug hearing in Montreal on Feb. 9.

Among the women, No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne, No. 4 Amelie Mauresmo and No. 5 Lindsay Davenport advanced in straight sets.

Henin-Hardenne was moved off center court for her second-round match Wednesday against childhood friend Camille Pin of France. Mauresmo faces Ludmila Cervanova and Davenport takes on Emilie Loit.

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