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New York - Serena Williams started her quest to join Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on the career grand slam list with a 6-3 6-1 victory over 18-year-old fellow American Taylor Townsend at the US Open on Tuesday.
Williams, seeking her third successive US Open title and 18th grand slam singles crown of her career, was simply too experienced for the erratic-yet-gifted Townsend, the 2012 Australian Open junior singles and doubles champion.
"Taylor is incredibly talented, she's just so good," Williams said of the big-serving left-hander in a courtside interview, while praising the emerging crop of US women in professional tennis. "We have such an amazing future."
Margaret Court (24), Steffi Graf (22) and Helen Wills Moody (19) lead the list of all-time grand slam singles titles in women's tennis.
Townsend wore a big smile during the 55-minute match despite receiving a lesson from the 32-year-old Williams, who feels a kinship with the teen from Chicago with the great touch and instinct for serve-and-volley.
"It was just a lot of different emotions and feelings that were coming," said Townsend about the experience on Arthur Ashe Stadium court. "It was just a first for a lot.
"I was playing against one of my tennis idols, someone I've been watching for years and years. Playing in my home, the last slam of the year in front of an American crowd."
Townsend began strongly but after a service break in the third game Williams took over.
"I thought it was an interesting match," said world number one Williams. "I thought she played really well. She started out super strong. She did a good job.
"I think Taylor is a really great player. I believe she does everything well. She's one of the few players that can come to the net and volley (and) she has unbelievable hand speed with her racquet."
Townsend said she looks up to Williams and has learned a lot from her.
"She's an African-American woman from Compton, California, who has won 17 grand slam titles. Like, who would have thought?
"She's paved the way for me and not only African-American girls but girls in general, people in general.
"Just has changed the game of tennis. I think I've just learned from her story that anything is possible."
Williams, who improved her U.S. Open career record to 73-9, advanced to meet 81st-ranked Vania King after the American battled to a 6-3 3-6 6-3 victory over former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy.
Men
1st rd
Sam Querrey (USA) bt Maximo Gonzalez (ARG) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP x28) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) 2-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5
John Isner (USA x13) bt Marcos Giron (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 7-6 (7/2)
Kei Nishikori (JPN x10) bt Wayne Odesnik (USA) 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
Pablo Andujar (ESP) bt Jack Sock (USA) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 - retired
Borna Coric (CRO) bt Lukas Rosol (CZE x29) 6-4, 6-1, 6-2
Victor Estrella Burgos (DOM) bt Igor Sijsling (NED) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2
Gilles Simon (FRA x26) bt Radu Albot (MDA) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
Federico Del Bonis (ARG) bt Noah Rubin (USA) 6-4, 6-3, 6-0
Bernard Tomic (AUS) bt Dustin Brown (GER) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)
David Ferrer (ESP x4) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-1, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
Gael Monfils (FRA x20) bt Jared Donaldson (USA) 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
Alejandro Gonzalez (COL) bt Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) 6-4, 6-4, 7-5
Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) bt Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) 6-1, 6-2, 2-1 - retired
Richard Gasquet (FRA x12) bt Denis Istomin (UZB) 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4
Fabio Fognini (ITA x15) bt Andrey Golubev (KAZ) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) bt Pere Riba (ESP) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-2
Tim Smyczek (USA) bt Filip Krajinovic (SRB) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5)
Roberto Bautista (ESP x17) bt Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT) 5-7, 7-6 (7/1), 1-6, 7-5, 6-1
Ivo Karlovic (CRO x25) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
Marcel Granollers (ESP) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 6-2
Sam Groth (AUS) bt Albert Ramos (ESP) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3
Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Marinko Matosevic (AUS) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4)
Women
1st rd
Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Taylor Townsend (USA) 6-3, 6-1
Vania King (USA) bt Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Varvara Lepchenko (USA) bt Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) 7-5, 6-2
Mona Barthel (GER) bt Zhang Shuai (CHN x32) 6-1, 6-2
Samantha Stosur (AUS x24) bt Lauren Davis (USA) 6-1, 6-4
Kaia Kanepi (EST) bt Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-1
Coco Vandeweghe (USA) bt Donna Vekic (CRO) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1
Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP x15) bt Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
Flavia Pennetta (ITA x11) bt Julia Goerges (GER) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
Shelby Rogers (USA) bt Maryna Zanevska (UKR) 6-4, 6-3
Nicole Gibbs (USA) bt Caroline Garcia (FRA) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x23) bt Teliana Pereira (BRA) 6-2, 6-0
Casey Dellacqua (AUS x29) bt Patricia Mayr-Achleitner (AUT) 7-5, 6-3
Wang Qiang (CHN) bt Paula Kania (POL) 6-2, 6-0
Karolina Pliskova (CZE) bt Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) 6-2, 6-2
Ana Ivanovic (SRB x8) bt Alison Riske (USA) 6-3, 6-0
Petra Kvitova (CZE) bt Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6-1, 6-0
Petra Cetkovska (CZE) bt Klara Koukalova (CZE) 6-1, 2-6, 6-3
Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) bt Katarzyna Piter (POL) 6-4, 6-1
Madison Keys (USA x27) bt Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) 6-0, 6-3
Marina Erakovic (NZL) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x20) 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/3)
Elena Vesnina (RUS) bt Chan Yung-Jan (TPE) 6-0, 7-5
Christina McHale (USA) bt Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (7/5)
Victoria Azarenka (BLR x16) bt Misaki Doi (JPN) 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-1
CiCi Bellis (USA) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x12) 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
Zarina Diyas (KAZ) bt Lesya Tsurenko (UKR) 6-1, 6-2
Polona Hercog (SLO) bt Elina Svitolina (UKR) 6-2, 7-6 (7/4)
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS x17) bt Grace Min (USA) 6-4, 6-2
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE x30) bt Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 6-1, 6-3
Monica Niculescu (ROM) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, 7-5
Sorana Cirstea (ROM) bt Heather Watson (GBR) 6-1, 6-1
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN x7) bt Olga Govortsova (BLR) 6-2, 6-1
