By Lauren Lynch
Photo Credit: LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images

(June 20, 2011) In a battle of the giants, Venus Williams took to the court on Monday like she had never been gone for several months and won her first match at Wimbledon 6-3, 6-1 against Akgul Amanmuradova in exactly one hour.

Williams is 6 feet 1 inch, while Amanmuradova is 6 feet 3 inches tall.

The 23rd seed was on top of her game, hitting seven aces and 23 winners with only one double fault and five unforced errors. She gave no break opportunities to the Uzbekistani but was able to convert four of five break points.

Williams dressed in another interesting ensemble; an all white romper with big gold jewelery.

The All England Club veteran and five-time champion celebrated her 31st birthday this past Friday, June 17. She will face another veteran on court in the second round against 41-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm, who defeated Katie O'Brien 6-0, 7-5.

Another American shined today; 19-year-old Christina McHale upset 28th-seeded Ekaterina Makarova 2-6, 6-1, 8-6.

McHale came on the radar with a surprising second-round run at the 2010 US Open. This is her first time playing in the women's tournament at Wimbledon.

Makarova was not the only seed to fall. Seventeenth-seeded Kaia Kanepi was upset by Italian Sara Errani 6-1, 6-4 and Shahar Peer, the 22nd seed, was taken out by World No. 89 Ksenia Pervak 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.