Serena is back with a bang at Flushing Meadows

After missing the last US Open due to a freak injury, Serena Williams made a successful return to Flushing Meadows with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Serbian teenager Bojana Jovanovski

Serena is back with a bang at Flushing Meadows

After missing the last US Open due to a freak injury, Serena Williams made a successful return to Flushing Meadows with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Serbian teenager Bojana Jovanovski

Serena Williams celebrates winning a point at the Flushing Meadows .
Pic/getty images

She was all smiles after the win, a marked contrast to her last singles appearance at the US Open, when her 2009 semi-final against Kim Clijsters ended amid jeers after she unleashed a tirade of abuse at a lineswoman.

The ugly outburst in a 6-4, 7-5 defeat eventually earned Williams a fine of $82,500, but she said on the eve of this year's tournament that the episode was long behind her. Taking to the Arthur Ashe stadium court on Tuesday night she again insisted the incident was forgotten. "It was two years ago, and last year I didn't play," Williams said. "If anything, I thought, 'Wow, I'm back. I haven't played in a long time."

"I'm telling you, out of sight, out of mind for me. You guys should try it."

Warm welcome
There were no hard feelings from the New York crowd, who gave the American a warm welcome before she powered through a 56 minute match with just 10 unforced errors and 22 winners.

She booked a second-round match with Dutch qualifier Michaela Krajicek -- a 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 winner over Greece's Eleni Daniilidou.

Williams missed the 2010 US Open after cutting her foot on glass at a restaurant not long after her 2010 Wimbledon victory.

Surgery followed, and then life-threatening blood clots on her lungs. After missing the Australian and French Opens this year, she made her comeback in the sedate surroundings of Eastbourne before enduring a fourth round exit at Wimbledon.

That defeat to France's Marion Bartoli sent her plummeting out of the top 150 in the world rankings. But tournament wins at Stanford and Toronto helped her back into the top 30.

Wozniacki through to second round
World No 1 Caroline Wozniacki raced into the second round dismantling 125th-ranked Spaniard Nuria Llagostera 6-3, 6-1, Xinhua while No. 4 Victoria Azarenka wasted little time in establishing herself as one of the contenders for the US Open title, quickly dispatching Johanna Larsson of Sweden 6-1, 6-3.

Wozniacki had little time to savour the win before she was again parrying questions over whether she needs a Grand Slam crown to legitimize her place atop the rankings.

French Open champion Li Na was snapped in the first round by Romanian teenager Simona Halep. The sixth seed led the seeded player ousted from the tournament losing to the Romanian 6-2, 7-5.

Meanwhile, in men's singles category, top seed Novak Djokovic enjoyed a comfortable walk into the second round as his opponent retired trailing 6-0, 5-1.

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