<p>Wimbledon champions Andy Murray and Serena Williams powered into the second round of the US Open as the stars came out on Arthur Ashe Stadium court.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Williams, launching her latest bid to rewrite the record books, started strong and didn’t let up in 6-3, 6-3 victory over 29th-ranked Ekaterina Makarova.<br /><br />The US world number one appeared untroubled by the balky right shoulder that has hindered her in recent weeks, delivering a dozen aces and 27 winners overall in the 63-minute contest.<br /><br />“I knew today I needed to be focused because I’ve played her. She’s gotten to the semifinals. She goes deep in majors,” Williams said of the Russian left-hander who beat her in the fourth round of the 2012 Australian Open.<br /><br />A victory would see her break the Open Era record of 22 Grand Slam titles she now shares with German Steffi Graf and close in on Margaret Court’s all-time mark of 24 major titles.<br /><br />While Williams has struggled since Wimbledon, Murray went from claiming a second title at the All England club to a successful defence of his Olympic gold in Rio.<br /><br />Vying to become the fourth man in the Open Era to reach all four major finals in a calendar year, Murray, too, produced a dominant service performance in a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Czech Lukas Rosol.<br /><br />Before the floodlights came up, Serena’s elder sister Venus claimed a Grand Slam record of her own as her 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Ukraine’s Kateryna Kozlova marked her 72nd appearance in the main draw of a major.<br /><br />The 36-year-old Venus, enjoying a resurgence in a 2016 season that includes a WTA title in Taiwan, survived 63 unforced errors against the rising 22-year-old, although she was pleased that her aggressive approach also yielded 46 winners.<br /><br />Fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, trying to make it to the quarterfinals in New York for the first time, breezed past US qualifier Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-1 and fifth-seeded Romanian Simona Halep also eased through with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Belgian Kirsten Flipkens.<br /><br />Men’s third seed Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland, a two-time semifinalist, reached the second round with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-4 win over Spain’s Fernando Verdasco.<br /><br />Japan’s Kei Nishikori also advanced, downing German Benjamin Becker 6-1, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion whose career was nearly ended by three wrist surgeries, advanced with a 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) victory over fellow Argentine Diego Schwartzman.<br /><br />Djokovic through<br /><br />World number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic reached the third round of the US Open without swinging his racquet on Wednesday when scheduled opponent Jiri Vesely pulled out injured.<br /><br />Serbia's Djokovic won by walkover when left forearm inflammation prompted Czech Vesely to withdraw prior to the afternoon second round clash.</p>
<p>Wimbledon champions Andy Murray and Serena Williams powered into the second round of the US Open as the stars came out on Arthur Ashe Stadium court.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Williams, launching her latest bid to rewrite the record books, started strong and didn’t let up in 6-3, 6-3 victory over 29th-ranked Ekaterina Makarova.<br /><br />The US world number one appeared untroubled by the balky right shoulder that has hindered her in recent weeks, delivering a dozen aces and 27 winners overall in the 63-minute contest.<br /><br />“I knew today I needed to be focused because I’ve played her. She’s gotten to the semifinals. She goes deep in majors,” Williams said of the Russian left-hander who beat her in the fourth round of the 2012 Australian Open.<br /><br />A victory would see her break the Open Era record of 22 Grand Slam titles she now shares with German Steffi Graf and close in on Margaret Court’s all-time mark of 24 major titles.<br /><br />While Williams has struggled since Wimbledon, Murray went from claiming a second title at the All England club to a successful defence of his Olympic gold in Rio.<br /><br />Vying to become the fourth man in the Open Era to reach all four major finals in a calendar year, Murray, too, produced a dominant service performance in a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Czech Lukas Rosol.<br /><br />Before the floodlights came up, Serena’s elder sister Venus claimed a Grand Slam record of her own as her 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Ukraine’s Kateryna Kozlova marked her 72nd appearance in the main draw of a major.<br /><br />The 36-year-old Venus, enjoying a resurgence in a 2016 season that includes a WTA title in Taiwan, survived 63 unforced errors against the rising 22-year-old, although she was pleased that her aggressive approach also yielded 46 winners.<br /><br />Fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, trying to make it to the quarterfinals in New York for the first time, breezed past US qualifier Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-1 and fifth-seeded Romanian Simona Halep also eased through with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Belgian Kirsten Flipkens.<br /><br />Men’s third seed Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland, a two-time semifinalist, reached the second round with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-4 win over Spain’s Fernando Verdasco.<br /><br />Japan’s Kei Nishikori also advanced, downing German Benjamin Becker 6-1, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion whose career was nearly ended by three wrist surgeries, advanced with a 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) victory over fellow Argentine Diego Schwartzman.<br /><br />Djokovic through<br /><br />World number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic reached the third round of the US Open without swinging his racquet on Wednesday when scheduled opponent Jiri Vesely pulled out injured.<br /><br />Serbia's Djokovic won by walkover when left forearm inflammation prompted Czech Vesely to withdraw prior to the afternoon second round clash.</p>