Williams sisters play back-to-back in Ashe at rainy US Open

NEW YORK-Wimbledon champions Serena Williams and Andy Murray raised the roof at the US Open on Thursday, powering into the third round with decisive straight-sets victories.

The new silver medalist was up against 19th seed Steve Johnson in the night match and following a tightly contested first set, del Potro ousted the American in routine fashion, 7-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach his second consecutive third round appearance at a Grand Slam.

Still, Serena told press she wasn’t totally satisfied.

“He’s playing better”, Granollers said, “and with a lot more confidence. and in tennis, that’s very important”.

“I didn’t expect to get a medal in Rio”.

“I feel this design, in particular, really is kind of like a superhero design”, Williams said. “I don’t know how good I am at twerking”.

But she put any doubts about her fitness to rest, blasting 13 aces past King while hitting 38 winners to just four by her opponent.

Radwanska, who has never made it past the fourth round at Flushing Meadows, next faces 25th seed Caroline Garcia of France, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victor over Czech Katerina Siniakova.

Instead, Murray broke, raising his game to convert a seventh set point as he punched back Granollers’ serve, chased down his drop-volley before flicking the ball cross-court for a victor. “Today, I warmed up some fried rice in my room”.

Yes, there were problems.

1 seed and Venus is No. 6, the first time she’s been seeded in the top 10 since 2010.

On day one, Williams got up at 7 a.m. and went with a smoothie for breakfast.

King noticed Williams’ negative body language as she headed to the net. It’s two matches in, and usually you want to be able to play seven matches.

“It was a long time ago”, she said.

Organizers used the roof – build at a cost of $150 million – for the first time in tournament history in Wednesday’s night session but it proved especially beneficial Thursday after rain hit NY in the morning and afternoon.

Williams will now face Sweden’s Johanna Larsson for a place in the last 16 and the 34-year-old insists her troublesome right shoulder is still holding up.

Her victory also earned her a landmark 306th career win at a Grand Slam to pull her level with Martina Navratilova, who was 306-49 during her career at the majors.

With Roger Federer absent from NY while he recovers from knee surgery, the stars look to be aligning for Murray as he seeks his fourth grand slam title and second here after lifting his first in 2012.

Never one to shy away from non-tennis interests, Williams recently appeared in one of Beyonce’s music videos and introduced a performance by her at the MTV Video Music Awards in Manhattan on Sunday night.

“There have been a number of changes this year and I think all of them coming together at the same time has made for a successful few months”.

“I definitely want to keep it as good as it can be”.