Serena Williams vs. Daria Gavrilova: Score and Reaction from 2016 Olympics

Serena Williams kept the dream of a Williams sister returning gold to the United States alive on Sunday, easily dispatching of Australia's Daria Gavrilova in her first-round match at the 2016 Summer Olympics. 

Williams earned the 6-4, 6-2 win in just over an hour and a half. She struck seven aces but was well off her top form, struggling to land first serves in play and making a series of mistakes due to the adverse conditions. 

Heavy wind blew for much of the match, which led to both players taking a bit off their serves and seeming a bit out of sorts. 

"It was incredibly windy," Williams said, per Nick McCarvel of USA Today.

The world No. 1 and reigning gold medalist double-faulted five times and made a dispiriting 37 unforced errors. If not for Gavrilova's own struggles—she made 28 unforced errors and managed half as many winners—it's possible Serena could have followed sister Venus out the door at Rio. On the bright side, Williams did go full patriotic with her gear:

"

serena has an american flag painted on her index finger nail. GOAT.

— shrillary tintin (@theshrillest) August 7, 2016"

Most of Williams' issues came in the first set, when she understandably needed time to adjust to the conditions. Four of her five double-faults came in the opening frame, and she was visibly angered at times. When Gavrilova managed to break Williams at love to make it 5-4, it looked like Williams might have been buckling a bit from a trying start to her Rio Games.

But Williams broke back in the next game and righted the ship in the second set.

"The first set, especially, was extremely tricky," Williams said, per Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press, "but I'm glad it kind of slowed down in the second a little bit, so I was able to produce better tennis."

Things returned to a far more standard state of affairs as Williams closed things out. She hit a solid (for the conditions) 58 percent of her first serves in play. She managed to reduce her unforced errors to 15 against as many winners and did not face a single break point. After going 1-of-7 on net points in the first set, her aggressiveness paid off on five of eight in the second.

"Fortunately enough, I am a pretty good clay-court player, so I'm OK with the slow courts," Williams said. "You have to hit about three or four more shots or just play a little bit better. It's OK. I'm getting used to the conditions as a whole."

Williams has won two singles gold medals and a pair with her sister, Venus, who was eliminated in the first round in singles play. Venus and Serena will look to begin their doubles defense later Sunday.