Serena Williams eases past Ekaterina Makarova in her opening match at the US Open
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Updated 31/08/2016 at 08:23 GMT
Serena Williams powered her way past Ekaterina Makarova 6-3 6-3 to begin her quest for a seventh US Open and record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title.
Serena Williams
Image credit: Reuters
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Highlights: Serena strolls into second round after win over Makarova
In a rematch of the 2014 semi-final, Williams prevailed in straight sets to open the night session.
Williams, who won Wimbledon in July, is aiming to win her 23rd Grand Slam title, which would surpass Steffi Graf for the most all-time in the Open era.
"I love coming out here with this New York crowd - it's super special, and I love it here. I love you guys. Thanks so much!" the American top seed said.
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Serena Williams of the USA hits to Ekaterina Makarova of Russia on day two of the 2016 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Image credit: Reuters
"I got off to a fast start, and I didn't want to start out slow. That's all I could do today.
"I’m going to have to wait until tomorrow to see. I haven’t been able to play much since Wimbledon, so every day I’ll just see how it goes.
"I absolutely love the new stadium. I love the roof, it's exciting. We’re doing great things out here."
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