Sania Mirza in action against Russia’s Maria Kirilenko during their first-round match in Hobart on Monday. The Indian won 6-4, 6-4. (AP)

New Delhi: Sania Mirza opened her new season on the WTA circuit in style by upsetting fourth seed Russian Maria Kirilenko in the first round of the Hobart International tennis tournament on Monday.

The wildcard Indian scored 6-4, 6-4 win over her higher-rated opponent, who is ranked 29th in the world, at the $145,000 hardcourt event being played in Hobart in build up to the Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam.

The 66th ranked Sania will next play Romina Oprandi of Italy, who pulled off a 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 win against Elena Likhovtseva of Russia in their first-round match.

Sania will team up with Alicia Molik of Australia in the doubles event, where the duo will play Ukrainian pair of Alona and Kateryna Bondarenko.

The Tier IV tournament also saw Serena William marking her return to the tennis stage with a 6-4, 6-0 demolition of Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson in the first round.

The American was making her comeback after a four-month injury layoff and was eager to prove a point about her fitness before the Australian Open begins next Monday.

World number 60 Arvidsson was ranked 34 spots above Williams but that counted for little against a player who has won seven Grand Slam titles.

After allowing her opponent four games in the first set, the 25-year-old Williams was relieved that her knee held up well as she ran Arvidsson ragged in the second.

Despite the one-sided scoreline, Williams ominously warned her rivals that she still had plenty in reserve.

“I didn’t play my best...I just think I’m a little rusty because it’s like I haven’t played since the US Open and only played four tournaments last year,” she told reporters.

“Physically right now I’m feeling good and I’m taking it literally one day at a time.”

Defending champion Michaella Krajicek lost her grip on the title when France’s Severine Bremond beat her 6-3, 1-6, 0-6.

Bremond did not let a medical time out for a leg injury distract her and stunned Krajicek with her fierce groundstrokes in the last two sets.