China's Zhu Lin hits a return against Whitney Osuigwe of the US during their women's singles match on day two of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on Feb 9, 2021. (WILLIAM WEST / AFP)

SYDNEY - China's Zhu Lin made short work of competitor Whitney Osuigwe in the first round of the Australian Open (AO) on Tuesday, winning 6-1, 6-1 in just over an hour.

Zhu Lin will meet Belgian Elise Mertens in round two of the Australian Open

In a case of wisdom trumping youth, 18-year-old Osuigwe from the US was unable to match Zhu's skill and consistency on the ball.

"I'm super happy that I won this match. I think (Osuigwe) raised her level towards the end of the match so I'm really happy to win," Zhu told Xinhua in a post-match press conference.

Zhu's expertly placed corner shots and over-stretched Osuigwe, steadily extending her lead. Despite the margin, Zhu remained focussed, earning every point as she went on to claim the final set.

"It's very important to stay focussed, especially for me. Lots of my matches are up and down scores so I really need to focus on every point. Even if I'm (winning) it's really important to me," Zhu said.

Zhu will meet Belgian Elise Mertens in round two, who, coming off the back of winning last weeks' Gippsland trophy, is in intimidating form.

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"She's a relatively stable player, she doesn't fluctuate much, so for me, it is important to be even more stable than her and bold on key points. I have to be fearless. She is a seeded player and higher ranked than me so I have nothing to fear," Zhu said.

For all players at the AO this year, the lead-in and preparations have been unlike any other. Zhu explained that not playing an international tournament since the pandemic began meant she had to remain adaptable.

"I joined some domestic matches, but it is different. The lead-in matches gave me a better idea of what details I need to be careful with. After a long time without playing sometimes you don't know what you should do on the court, and can lose the idea of how to play key points," Zhu said.

On the tournament itself, Zhu said she was grateful to be able to attend despite the differences and uncertainties forced by the pandemic.

"There are fewer spectators and the general atmosphere is different to previous years and you can't have that much interaction with the fans. Still the AO did a pretty good job and I appreciate the chance to play matches," she said.