SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Martina Hingis won in her season debut, and Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand defeated top-seeded Sebastien Grojean of France at the adidas International on Tuesday.

Hingis, the defending champion, needed just 46 minutes to beat American Lisa Raymond 6-1, 6-1.

Hingis said she ``felt a little wonky'' on her return from an ankle injury.

Hingis surrendered the No. 1 ranking in October after 73 consecutive weeks when she tore ligaments in her right ankle in a semifinal against American Lindsay Davenport at the Porsche Grand Prix in Germany.

She saved four break points and said it was a three-month layoff rather than any ankle trouble that gave Raymond the break-point opportunities.

To start with, ``I felt a little nervous and didn't really know what to expect from her,'' Hingis said. ``I think it is a great start to the new season, especially since I hadn't played in so long.

``It's always nice to come back to a place where you have had success in the past -- It gives you a little extra kick, a little bit more confidence. ''

Hingis won the adidas tournament last year and in 1997 and also won the Australian Open three consecutive years from '97-'99, the last being her most recent Grand Slam title.

Paradorn needed just 64 minutes to clinch a 6-3, 6-4 first-round win with an ace on his first match point.

Paradorn, ranked No. 112 in the world, dropped to his knees and kissed center court after beating Grosjean.

Paradorn qualified for the Sydney event by reaching his first final last week at the TATA Open in Madras, India, where he lost in straight sets to Guillermo Canas of Argentina. He had beaten three seeded players to reach the final.

Paradorn's biggest previous win was against Magnus Norman at Singapore in 1999, when the Swede was ranked No. 3.

Last December, he earned a wild card for next week's Australian Open by winning the Asian Championship decider against top-seeded Lee Hyung-taik at Hong Kong.

Paradorn took the first set Tuesday in 31 minutes on two breaks, and broke Grojean again early in the second set and then, at 5-4, served out at love.

``I had nothing to lose against Grosjean and I can play whatever I want,'' he said. ``I just try my best and show how good I am.''

Paradorn converted two of his three break points and saved four. He served nine aces against Grosjean's two and won 90 percent of points on first serve.

Grosjean looked lackluster in his first match of the year, but said his mind was back on tennis and his aim was to improve on his semifinal run at the Australian Open.

In other first round matches, Frenchman Julien Boutter upset No. 6 seed Thomas Johansson of Sweden 7-6 (4), 7-5; Rainer Schuettler beat Nicolas Kiefer 6-2, 6-2 in an all-German opener.

Slovakia's Karol Kucera beat Frenchman Fabrice Santoro, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, and Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic defeated Ecudor's Nicolas Lapentti 6-3, 6-1.

In other women's matches, Wimbledon finalist Justine Henin beat Austrian Barbara Schett 7-6 (3) 6-3 in their first round match and Serena Williams, who had a first round bye, opened the year with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 second round win over Russia's Anna Kournikova.