Serena surges into second round as Halep toppled at US Open

NEW YORK: Serena Williams made a triumphant return to the US Open on Monday, launching her bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam victory with a straight-sets win as top-seeded Simona Halep made dubious history with a first-round exit.

Williams, who counts six US Open titles among her 23 Grand Slams, can match Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 majors with another title at Flushing Meadows.

She missed last year’s edition as she gave birth to daughter Olympia on September 1, but showed every indication she’s ready to make up for lost time in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Poland’s Magda Linette.

“I think I’m getting there,” said Williams, who turned up the heat on a steamy New York night that opened with a gala celebration of the US Open’s 50th anniversary.The 68th-ranked Linette held her own in the early going, but Williams gained the only break she needed in the first set in the seventh game and rolled from there.

She didn’t face a break point in the 70-minute match, firing 23 winners and wrapping up the second set in less than half an hour.Williams’ path may have been eased by Kaia Kanepi’s stunning upset of world number one Halep, who became the first top-seeded woman to lose in the first round of the US Open.

It was the kind of Grand Slam history Halep could have done without as she tried to expunge the memory of her first-round loss to Maria Sharapova at Flushing Meadows last year.But the Romanian, who broke through for a first Grand Slam title at the French Open this year, had no answer for Kanepi’s power.

The Estonian fired 26 winners to Halep’s nine, cutting the rallies short and remorselessly punishing Halep’s second serve.While Halep is no longer in her path, Williams could face another early test — a possible third-round clash with 16th-seeded sister Venus.

Venus, a seven-time Slam winner, outlasted another former champion, Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.Defending champion Sloane Stephens encountered late resistance but held on for a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Russian Evgeniya Rodina.

Stephens, seeded third behind Halep and Caroline Wozniacki, looked to be cruising with a 3-1 lead in the second set.But unseeded Rodina had other ideas, turning the tables to take a 5-4 lead before Stephens reasserted herself.

Elsewhere on the opening day, seventh-seeded Spaniard Garbine Muguruza advanced with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over China’s Zhang Shuai.

Two-time Grand Slam winner Victoria Azarenka, a former world number one now ranked 80th in the world, defeated Viktoria Kuzmova 6-3, 7-5 to set up a meeting with Australian Daria Gavrilova, who steamrolled Sara Sorribes 6-0, 6-0.

Meanwhile defending US Open champion Rafael Nadal sent close friend David Ferrer into Grand Slam retirement when his veteran compatriot was forced to quit their first-round match with injury, but former winners Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka made successful returns to New York.

Ferrer called it quits on a hot and humid night on Arthur Ashe Stadium despite leading 4-3 with a break in the second set after twice receiving treatment on a left leg injury.Top seed Nadal had taken the opener 6-3.

Nadal will face Canada’s Vasek Pospisil for a place in the last 32.

Nadal’s potential semi-final opponent, Argentine third seed and 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro, also reached the second round with a 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 win over American qualifier Donald Young.

He next faces Denis Kudla of the United States who won his first match in five years at the tournament when he downed Matteo Berrettini of Italy 6-4, 7-5, 6-2.

Former world number one Murray marked his first Grand Slam tournament in 14 months with a 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 win over Australia’s James Duckworth.