Wimbledon favourite Maria Sharapova began her bid for back-to-back grand slam victories impressively and then warned rivals that securing further titles is what gets her up in a morning.
The Russian flirted with brilliance against Anastasia Rodionova on Centre Court, racing into a five-game lead with just three points conceded before getting involved in a mid-match scrap as the Australian found her rhythm.
A clinical break in the fourth game of the second set got Sharapova back on track, though, and put her through to the second round where she will meet Tsvetana Pironkova.
Bulgarian Pironkova was a semi-finalist two years ago and reached the quarter-finals last year, but she is unseeded and will not be relishing facing Sharapova.
The 25-year-old is fresh from lifting the first French Open title and now warming to the task of winning a fifth grand slam title.
Serena Williams in 2002 was the last woman to triumph at Roland Garros and follow up with the Wimbledon title.
After her 6-2 6-3 win, Sharapova, who was runner-up to Petra Kvitova 12 months ago, said of her match: "The first one is always tricky. To get out there after not competing for a couple of weeks and with the transition from clay to grass, I thought I started off the match really well.
"I had a few letdowns towards the end of both sets, but overall I'm pretty happy with the way I performed. It's always a nice feeling to be back on Centre Court. It's such a special place for me.
"I'm still very humble and appreciative for what I have. I still believe I can achieve a lot more. That's what drives me and gets me up in the morning still, no matter how much success I've had, no matter how many downfalls, I still believe I can be better."
Her Paris win allowed Sharapova to complete the set of grand slam titles and further strengthened her position as the frontrunner to win this tournament.
The preparation to do so is hindered by the two-week turnaround, though, which has led to talk that an extra week's break may be inserted to allow the players more rest time.
While Sharapova can see the reasoning behind that, she fears such a move could lead to an already-lengthy season being extended at the end of the year.
She added: "As difficult a transition as it is, I think it's maybe better like that than seeing the schedule go over the weeks it is."
