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Serena Williams made a solid start to her first U.S. Open tune-up with a 6-3 6-3 victory over Elise Mertens on Wednesday while Naomi Osaka took a step closer to regaining her world No. 1 ranking by reaching the last 16 of the Rogers Cup.
Three-times champion Williams, playing her first match since falling to Simona Halep in the Wimbledon final, married her trademark power with quick movement and a steady stream of booming serves to overwhelm Belgian Mertens.
“It feels good,” Williams said of her return to the hard-court surface. “Definitely feels different as I didn’t play a ton this year on hardcourts but it feels good to be back out here.” Read more