Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Serena Williams started her latest attempt to win a 24th Grand Slam singles title with a win over Kristie Ahn in the first round of the U.S. Open on Tuesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, N.Y.
The two Americans split the first 10 games before the third-seeded Williams took control to earn a 7-5, 6-3 win. With the victory, Williams passed Chris Evert with her 102nd singles win at Flushing Meadows -- the most by a woman at the tournament in the Open era.
Williams, who turns 39 this month, hit 13 aces and lost only six points on her first serve.
Williams has won the U.S. Open six times and has been the runner-up in each of the last two years at the event. She can tie Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles trophies with a win in New York.
Also Tuesday, Garbine Muguruza -- the No. 10 seed -- opened the second day of the tournament with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Nao Hibino. Australian Open champion and No. 2 seed Sofia Kenin cruised past Yanina Wickmayer 6-2, 6-2 to advance.
On the men's side, three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray rallied to defeat Yoshihito Nishioka 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-4. Murray, who has battled back from multiple injuries and surgeries, dropped the first two sets before mounting a fierce comeback.
"It was a pretty special one to get through," Murray said. "I didn't play my best. There was no one there watching. It was a long five-setter, my first one in a long time. So yeah, it was a great effort to get through."
In other men's action Tuesday, No. 10 seed Andrey Rublev beat Jeremy Chardy in straight sets. Eighth-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut also won in three sets over American Tennys Sandgren.
Wild card J.J. Wolf is in the main draw for the first time after upsetting No. 29 seed Guido Pella 6-2, 0-6, 6-3, 6-3. Pella reached the third round of the 2018 U.S. Open and the third round of the Australian Open earlier this year.
