Venus victorious in US Open

Venus Williams opened her bid for a third US Open title and a first in seven years with a 6-2 6-3 first-round victory over Australia’s Samantha Stosur at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The seventh seed, who reached the semi-finals or better in her first six US Open appearances, winning in 2000 and 2001, was making her 10th appearance at Flushing Meadows and triumphed in one hour and 16 minutes.

The pair had met on two previous occasions, with Williams victorious in straight sets in Charleston in 2007 and in Rome earlier this year, with both meetings coming on clay.

The faster hard courts favoured the former world number one and she dominated from the start, breaking in Stosur’s first two service games before the the world number 72 pulled a break back.

However, Williams broke again and went on to take the set 6-2.

Stosur, who was making her sixth US Open appearance but has never progressed beyond the second round, made a better start to the second set, breaking Williams in the fourth game.

However, Williams broke back immediately before two further breaks sealed a comfortable triumph.

Williams, who in 2007 reached the US Open semi-finals for the first time in five years, will now meet Paraguay’s Rossana De Los Rios, a three-set winner over Hana Sromova.