The Dutchwoman beat Kanako Domori of Japan 6-0, 6-0 in just 44 minutes to progress into the second round of the women’s competition and in the process stretched her unbeaten run to 466 matches in Singles action.

The pressure is on the Netherlands ace to deliver another gold and when asked whether she was more focused on a medal or her winning streak, Vergeer said: ‘If I were to lose I think not taking gold [would be more of a disappointment]. I'm not worried about my streak. I'm not planning to go through to 500 wins. It (the winning streak) just happens, I don't plan for it.

‘Everybody expects me to win. I work hard for it and I know I can win a gold medal.’

The men’s defending champion in the Singles was also a 6-0, 6-0 winner in his first-round match, as Japan’s Shingo Kunieda saw off Brazil’s Rafael Medeiros Gomes.

Another Brazilian, Daniel Alves Rodrigues, was involved in the longest match of the first round.

He hit 57 winners on his way to a 7-6, 5-7, 6-4 victory in an all-South American tie with Colombia’s Eliecer Oquendo Barrios, who hit 11 aces during his defeat - with the match lasting for two hours and 10 minutes on Court Seven.

As well as Kunieda’s victory, the Japanese also saw Takashi Sanada and Satoshi Saida progress in the men’s competition and Yui Kamiji in the women’s event.

Vergeer, meanwhile, was one of four Dutch players to reach the last 16 of the women’s competition as Aniek Van Koot, Marjolein Buis and Jiske Griffioen also enjoyed straight-sets victories,while there were also wins for four players from the Netherlands in the men’s event through Robin Ammerlaan, Tom Egberink, Maikel Scheffers and Ronald Vink.

The last player to beat Vergeer in Singles back in 2003, the world number six Daniela Di Toro of Australia, beat the youngest player at London 2012, 17-year-old Angelica Bernal Villalobos of Colombia, 6-1, 6-1.

Di Toro said: ‘I'm just playing one match at a time. She (Vergeer) is so far away from my thoughts right now.'

Elsewhere, in the men’s competition, world number one Stephane Houdet of France used his strong serve to get the better of wildcard Suthi Khlongrua of Thailand 6-1, 6-0, while Zimbabwe were making their Games debut in Wheelchair Tennis and were celebrating as Nyasha Mharakurwa beat Yann Avanthey of Switzerland 6-4, 6-3.