New York: World No 1 Serena Williams and her elder sister Venus Williams had contrasting wins at the US Open on Tuesday on Tuesday, as one hand where despite her injury woes Serena easily cruised past 2014 US Open semifinalist Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-3, Venus was stretched to a three sets victory over Kateryna Kozlova in a match that lasted nearly three hours.

Serena, launching her quest for the record 23rd Grand Slam title, moved into the second round with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over 29th-ranked Ekaterina Makarova. Williams, launching her latest bid to rewrite the record books, started strong and didn't let up in 6-3, 6-3 victory over 29th-ranked Ekaterina Makarova. She fired a dozen aces and 27 winners in the 63-minute contest.

Meanwhile, Venus survived 63 unforced errors against Kateryna Kozlova and won the match 6-2, 5-7, 6-4. Fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, trying to make it to the quarter-finals in New York for the first time, breezed past US qualifier Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-1 and fifth-seeded Romanian Simona Halep also eased through with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Belgian Kirsten Flipkens.

In the men’s section, Andy Murray, who is high after his Wimbledon title and Olympics gold medal at Rio and is vying to become the fourth man in the Open Era to reach all four major finals in a calendar year, produced a dominant performance in a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Czech Lukas Rosol.

Meanwhile, men's third seed Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland reached the second round with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-4 win over Spain's Fernando Verdasco. Kei Nishikori, who became Asia's first men's Grand Slam finalist in New York in 2014, also advanced, downing German Benjamin Becker 6-1, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

Juan Martin del Potro, who had lifted the men’s singles trophy in Arthur Ashe Stadium seven years ago, made a triumphant return dismissing countryman Diego Schwartzman, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6.