NEW YORK, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- - Top seed Kim Clijsters overcame a shaky start Monday night and avanced at the U.S. Open with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over American wild card Amber Liu.
Hoping to give her No. 1 ranking legitimacy by capturing her first career major title, Clijsters was down a break early in the first set to Liu, the reigning NCAA champion.
With defending champion Serena Williams sidelined following knee surgery, Clijsters took over the top ranking earlier this month and is the first woman to do so without a Grand Slam crown.
Former champion Lindsay Davenport also had a routine first-round victory as she battles a painful foot injury. The third-seeded American beat Belgian Els Callens, 6-1, 6-0.
On the men's side, French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain got past towering qualifier Jan Vacek of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
