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.
How would her tender, 35-year-old right shoulder, the one that forced her to withdraw from Cincinnati, hold up? Perhaps more importantly, what was her state of mind entering the season's final Grand Slam at Arthur Ashe Stadium?
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.
Here are some more takeaways from the match:
Serena served smartly: She was credited with 12 aces, a healthy number, but it must be noted that the majority of those were in the low 100s. She placed the ball beautifully. Her fastest serve (not an ace) was 121 mph, a little slower than her usual highest heat. Of her shoulder, she said, "I'm going to have to wait until tomorrow to see. I was just happy I was able to make it out here today. Every day, I'll just see how it goes."
Focus was not a problem: Some Serena fans were concerned when she drew one of the toughest unseeded players for her first-round match. Serena has been known to take some of her lesser-ranked, early-round opponents lightly, but there was no danger of that. Markarova beat her in a big spot -- the fourth round of the 2012 Australian Open -- and Serena was engaged from the beginning. She finished with 27 winners and 22 unforced errors.
Makarova shrank from the moment: If anyone is equipped to stand up to Serena, it's the big-hitting Russian. But forehand errors gave Serena the key break in the sixth game of the match, and Makarova finished with five double faults and four aces. Serena has now beaten Makarova at the US Open in 2012, 2014 and 2016.
History continues to beckon: It's all in front of Serena in New York. She can break the Open era record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles, which she shares with Steff Graf, and tie Graf's all-time mark of 186 consecutive weeks at No. 1. A win would give Williams a staggering seven US Open titles, one more than Chis Evert's total. That would be a pretty sweet cherry on the top of 2016.