GOLD COAST, Australia — Martina Hingis made a successful return to competitive tennis after a three-year absence Monday, beating Venezuela's Maria Vento-Kabchi 6-2, 6-1 in the Australian women's hardcourt championships.

The 25-year-old Hingis, a five-time Grand Slam singles champion before retiring in 2002 because of ankle, heel and foot injuries, started tentatively as both players exchanged service breaks. But the three-time Australian Open champion showed no signs of the extended layoff as she easily outplayed Vento-Kabchi the rest of the match.

"I was a little nervous," Hingis told the capacity crowd at Royal Pines stadium after the match. "I'd like to thank my family and friends for supporting me."

It was Hingis' first WTA Tour match since losing to Elena Dementieva in Filderstadt, Germany, in October 2002. The Swiss star will face seventh-seeded Klara Koukalova of the Czech Republic in the second round, and also plans to play next week in the Sydney International as she prepares the Australian Open.

"Under the circumstances in the heat and not having played for three years, I'd say an eight (out of 10), other times even better," Hingis said. "I don't know what else I should have done today better than what I did. The score says it all."

Hingis' serve has improved and her groundstrokes appear considerably harder than when she retired at the age of 22 in 2002.

"Just wait until the next matches, I'll be even better," said Hingis, who had one ace. "You have to have a high percentage of first serves otherwise these girls today are going to kill you. They're very aggressive and they attack right away."

In other first-round matches Monday, top-seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland defeated France's Virginie Razzano 6-3, 7-6 (2), while second-seeded Francesca Schiavone of Italy and third-seeded Dinara Safina of Russia also advanced. Schiavone beat China's Yuan Meng 6-2, 6-3, and Safina defeated compatriot Evgenia Linetskaya 7-6 (0), 6-0.

The Australian Open will begin Jan. 16 in Melbourne.