Critical Notes

Serena Williams had a more difficult time than expected in the first round. (AI Wire photo)

Opening day at the U.S. Open didn’t have any shockers, but Serena Williams looked fallible against an unseeded German teenager.

Williams, the eighth seed in the final grand slam event of the year, staved off a third set by winning back-to-back games to close out a straight-set win of 6-3, 7-5 over feisty Angelique Kerber in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., on Monday.

Their match concluded play on a warm night that also featured Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, Serena’s sister, breezing past Kira Nagy of Hungary, 6-2, 6-1.

The Williams sisters, who are both two-time U.S. Open winners, highlighted a night that also featured a tribute to Althea Gibson, the first black woman to win one of tennis’ premier events when she captured the French Open in 1956.

Among other favorites to win on Monday were: women’s No. 1 seed Justine Henin, No. 3 Jelena Jankovic and No. 5 Amy Ivanovic. On the men’s side, top-seeded Roger Federer, the heavy favorite to three-peat with U.S. Open odds of 2/5, was a straight-set winner. Four upsets occurred on the men’s side, but none of the losers were seeded higher than 18th.

For U.S. Open odds for the men’s and women’s draw throughout the tournament, visit the Bodog Sportsbook every day. And read a preview of the women’s draw in Bodog Nation, the popular online magazine.

Serena Williams had a more difficult time than expected in the first round. (AI Wire photo)

Opening day at the U.S. Open didn’t have any shockers, but Serena Williams looked fallible against an unseeded German teenager.

Williams, the eighth seed in the final grand slam event of the year, staved off a third set by winning back-to-back games to close out a straight-set win of 6-3, 7-5 over feisty Angelique Kerber in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., on Monday.

Their match concluded play on a warm night that also featured Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, Serena’s sister, breezing past Kira Nagy of Hungary, 6-2, 6-1.

The Williams sisters, who are both two-time U.S. Open winners, highlighted a night that also featured a tribute to Althea Gibson, the first black woman to win one of tennis’ premier events when she captured the French Open in 1956.

Among other favorites to win on Monday were: women’s No. 1 seed Justine Henin, No. 3 Jelena Jankovic and No. 5 Amy Ivanovic. On the men’s side, top-seeded Roger Federer, the heavy favorite to three-peat with U.S. Open odds of 2/5, was a straight-set winner. Four upsets occurred on the men’s side, but none of the losers were seeded higher than 18th.

For U.S. Open odds for the men’s and women’s draw throughout the tournament, visit the Bodog Sportsbook every day. And read a preview of the women’s draw in Bodog Nation, the popular online magazine.