Venus Williams survives Falconi scare

The two-time Flushing Meadow champion took the first set with relative ease and twice served for the match in the second, but couldn't finish off her feisty opponent who forced the decider following a dominant 7-2 success in the tie break.

Both players appeared happier returning serve as they exchanged breaks at the start of the third before Williams finally found some rhythm and broke again to clinch the match and set up a meeting with Swiss teenager, Belinda Bencic.