Venus advances

First time since Oct. that Williams defeats a top- 20 opponent. Tennis,

NEW YORK Opening day in the U. S. Open kept up the theme of the 2013 season with dominant performances, a retirement and an upset or two.

Williams sisters: Venus Williams ran her first- round record in the U. S. Open to 15- 0 with a 6- 1, 6- 2 upset victory against No. 12 seed Kirsten Flipkens. Williams has played sparingly this year, in part because of a back injury. “I realize that I haven’t had a lot of chances to play this year or a lot of chances to play healthy this year, have had injuries and what have you,” she said. “So I’m just going to have to keep working my way into it maybe more than some of the other players. But I know I can do that.” Later, sister Serena Williams advanced, defeating Francesca Schiavone 6- 0, 6- 1 in 60 minutes.

Blake steps aside: One of the best players of this generation of U. S. men, James Blake, announced this would be his final tournament. “I have had 14 pretty darn good years on tour, loved every minute of it, and I definitely couldn’t have asked for a better career,” he said. Blake, 33, who attended Harvard before turning pro in 1999, was a consistent top- 10 player from 2006 to 2008, reaching a high of No. 4 in 2006, and won 10 singles titles and seven in doubles on the ATP World Tour. “He’s top class,” 21- year- old Ryan Harrison said of his friend and mentor. “I have so much respect for him and what he’s done over his career.”

Nadal rolls on: Rafael Nadal ran his record on hardcourts in 2013 to 16- 0 with a straightforward victory against Harrison. Nadal, the No. 2 seed and the favorite to win, according to many observers, breezed to a 6- 4, 6- 2, 6- 2 victory.

Tuesday

Key matches: Petra Kvitova ( 7) vs. Misaki Doi; Caroline Wozniacki ( 6) vs. Duan Ying- Ying; John Isner ( 13) vs. Filippo Volandri; Novak Djokovic ( 1) vs. Ricardas Berankis; Dinah Pfizenmaier vs. Victoria Azarenka ( 2). Armstrong Stadium — Guido Pella vs. Sam Querrey ( 26); Victoria Duval vs. Sam Stosur ( 11); Ana Ivanovic ( 13) vs. Anna Tatishvili; Julia Goerges vs. Christina McHale; Jack Sock vs. Philipp Petzschner; Varvara Lepchenko vs. Alexandra Dulgheru.

TV ( ET): 11 a. m.- 7 p. m, Tennis Channel; 1- 11 p. m., ESPN2

USA TODAY SPORTS