NEW YORK: After her disappointing flameout in Rio de Janeiro, Serena Williams’ highly anticipated first-round match at the US Open was a time for temperature-taking. After her surprisingly routine 6-3, 6-3 victory over Ekaterina Makarova on Tuesday night (in 63 minutes), we can report that both the shoulder and psyche are resting comfortably. “I got off to a fast start because I knew she was a really tough opponent,” Serena said in her on-court interview. “I definitely think it’s fair to call it a home court.” Serena has now won 305 Grand Slam matches – one shy of Martina Navratilova’s Open era record. Roger Federer has won 307. Williams is 64-1 in first-round matches at Slams.