Beijing, China, 1 October 2017 | Leigh Rogers

After a long injury lay-off, Sam Stosur is simply relieved to be winning matches again.

The 33-year-old scored a comprehensive 6-3 6-2 victory over world No.47 Katerina Siniakova to reach the China Open second round.

It marked Stosur’s first WTA win since June – and after three losses in her comeback, is a major breakthrough in her return from missing three-and-a-half months of the season with a right hand stress fracture.

“I’m really happy and relieved,” Stosur said. “Overall I thought I did most things really well, it was nice to get through.”

Stosur made a strong start, dictating play early to race to a 3-0 lead against a visibly frustrated and unsettled opponent.

An error-riddled service game from Stosur gifted the 21-year-old Czech the break back in the seventh game, but the world No.44 responded by winning the next eight points to take the first set 6-3, clinching it with a deft volley winner.

“It’s always good to start well, but that’s one thing I have done pretty well in all my last three matches on this trip,” Stosur said. “So once I did that and was able to win that first set, I knew I had to knuckle down at the start of the second and not let her get a roll on.”

Stosur built a 2-0 lead in the second, before Siniakova leveled at 2-all. Remaining focused and composed, the 2011 US Open champion won the next four games to secure victory in 72 minutes.

It sets up a second round showdown with No.9 seed Jelena Ostapenko, a rematch of their Roland Garros fourth round match earlier this season.

“I definitely feel like the pressure is on her. I can go out there and have nothing to lose,” Stosur said. “It’s definitely a different situation and dynamic to the last time we played at Roland Garros and at the Olympics last year, so I think it is a good match-up for me.”

Stosur joins compatriots Daria Gavrilova and Ashleigh Barty in the second round.