Six-time champion Serena Williams powered her way through to the third round of the US Open after beating Russian Margarita Gasparyan 6-2 6-4 in New York.
The American mother of one, was blowing all cylinders in the opening set however found the world number 117 a tough meat to chew in the second under the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof.
The pair broke each other twice before Williams secured a crucial third break in the 10th game to seal victory.
Williams will now face compatriot Sloane Stephens, the 2017 champion.
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“She’s such a good player – she plays so smooth,” Williams said of Stephens. “She looks like she’s not taking on energy, then ‘blam’ – there’s five winners. It’s not easy.”
Gasparyan made 11 unforced errors in the first set and a handful of them came in her opening service game when she was broken despite having led 40-0.
Williams then broke again with an excellent overhead to go 5-1 up; although she lost her serve to love in the next, the American bounced back in the following game to break for a third time and seal the set in 35 minutes.
Gasparyan forged ahead strongly in the second set at Flushing Meadows despite going a break down to fall 3-1 behind. The 26-year-old, who recovered from three knee operations earlier in her career, twice broke back and had Williams on the ropes again at 4-4, before the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion eventually held her serve.
The American, who last won the US Open in 2014, broke Gasparyan in the next game to avoid potentially being dragged into a third set.
Williams, used to a large support cheering her inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium, said: “I love the crowd here, but this is something cool. I play in the modern era. There’s something more calming about it.”
This was Williams’ 103rd singles win at Flushing Meadows, having passed Chris Evert’s Open era record of 101 earlier in the week. She is seeking to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles title.
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