Serena Williams opened her US Open account with a tidy 6-3 6-3 win over Ekaterina Makarova, to join her sister Venus in the second round of the year’s final grand slam.

Williams, whose status as world no.1 is under attack from several fronts, delivered a message that she will not go down without a fight, needing just 63 minutes to dispatch the 29th-ranked Russian.

Germany’s Angelique Kerber and Spain’s Garbine Muguruza, who have both beaten Williams in slam finals this season, along with Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, will all be eyeing the number one ranking should the American’s bid for a 23rd grand slam title stall.

Williams has owned the number one spot in women’s tennis rankings since February 18, 2013 and will extend her streak to 186 consecutive weeks by the end of the US Open fortnight, tying the WTA record held by Steffi Graf.

Back on Arthur Ashe Stadium court for the first time since a shock loss to Italy’s Roberta Vinci in last year’s US Open semi-finals, Williams made quick work of Makarova to follow the lead of her sister Venus.

Sixth-seeded Venus had provided the opening act for sister Serena when she outlasted Ukraine’s Kateryna Kozlova 6-2 5-7 6-4 before turning over the Arthur Ashe Stadium court to her top-seeded sibling.

Women’s second round: Bencic bt Petkovic 6-3 6-2; Vinci bt McHale 6-1 6-3; Wozniacki bt Kuz-netsova 6-4 6-4.

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