British number one Johanna Konta began her Madrid Open campaign with a 6-4 6-1 win over American Alison Riske.
Only a day after losing the Morocco Open final to Maria Sakkari in three sets in Rabat, the world number 47 faced Riske, ranked two places lower.
From 4-1, she was pulled back to 4-4 but took the next five games and sealed the match in an hour and 14 minutes.
In round two, the 27-year-old faces world number three Simona Halep, who beat Margarita Gasparyan 6-0 6-4.
Konta, seeking her fourth WTA title, had won her only previous meeting with 28-year-old Riske and a superb angled forehand return gave her set point, which she duly secured with a backhand of precision into the corner.