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Venus Williams had to dig deep to avoid one of the most shocking upsets of her illustrious career as she beat little-known Russian Vera Dushevina 6-7 7-5 6-3 in the first round of the US Open.

Williams was down a set and a service break before hitting her stride late in the match to overpower the 47th-ranked Dushevina before nearly 24,000 fans on Arthur Ashe.

The seven-times Grand Slam winner won the final three games of the second set and first four of the decider against the demoralised 22-year-old Russian.

Williams committed 53 unforced errors and had 10 double faults but won the match in two hours and 43 minutes to set up a second-round date against fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

Former world number one Kim Clijsters made a winning return to Slam tennis with a 6-1 6-1 win over Viktoriya Kutuzova of Ukraine.

The 26-year-old former world number one only returned to competitive tennis at the start of the month after more than two years of retirement, and eased through her first US Open test in just 58 minutes.

It was another clear demonstration that she has lost little of the power and talent that took her to the top of the world rankings in 2005 and her unseeded category will make her a dangerous floater in the bottom half of the draw.

Clijsters was given the honour of playing the opening match on the central court, her first appearance at Flushing Meadows since she defeated Mary Pierce in straight sets in the 2005 final.

She was unable to defend her title the following year due to injury and then retired from the game in May 2007 to marry and have a baby, only returning to action earlier this month.

The Belgian got off to a storming start by winning the first seven points against her 21-year-old opponent.

That set the tone and she totally dominated the east European who once was touted as a potential top 10 player.

Clijsters, who hit 17 winners and was 70 per cent on her first serve, won the last eight points of the match against a demoralised opponent to smoothly move into the second round.

The win was the sixth for Clijsters against two losses since she launched her comeback and moved her forward to a second round clash against French 14th seed Marion Bartoli, whom she beat in straight sets in her first match back in Cincinnati.

Bartoli cruised past Rossana De Los Rios of Paraguay 6-1 6-0.

Serena Williams began the defence of her title with a straightforward 6-4 6-1 victory over fellow American Alexa Glatch.

The world number two, looking for her third Grand Slam title of the year and 12th in all, survived a lapse in concentration midway through the first set to advance in just over an hour.

Williams began strongly but was broken when serving for the opening set at 5-2 as world number 103 Glatch settled after a nervous start.

But she made no mistake second time round and then cruised through the second to set up a clash with Hungary's Melinda Czink.

Jelena Dokic was unable to shake off the rust of a two-month layoff and lost to Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 6-3 6-4.

Dokic had not played competitively since a first-round loss at Wimbledon due to a debilitating bout of mononucleosis.

The 26-year-old Australian had 41 unforced errors, nine double faults and no aces while losing to the 93rd-ranked Flipkens in 66 minutes.

Indian star Sania Mirza had to fight to beat Olga Govortsova 6-2 3-6 6-3, while Daniela Hantuchova was taken to a deciding set by American Meghann Shaughnessy before the Slovak won 6-2 4-6 6-1.

Seventh seed Vera Zvonareva and 10th seed Flavia Pennetta also cruised into the second round in straight sets.

Also through early on the first day was Belarussian eighth seed Victoria Azarenka, who defeated Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania 6-1 6-1, and Polish 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who ousted Patria Mayr of Austria 6-1 6-2.

It was a far tougher opener for Australia's 15th seed Samantha Stosur, who was taken all the way by 34-year-old Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama before winning 6-4 4-6 6-4.

The French Open semi-finalist started slowly in the first two sets, hitting back to win the first but dropping the second against an opponent who was playing in her 16th consecutive US Open draw.

The players exchange breaks again early in the deciding set before Stosur finally edged home by breaking Sugiyama in the 10th game and on her third match point.

It was a welcome win for the Gold Coast player, whose improved play has seen her reach a career-best 15th in the world rankings, as she had failed to get past the first round in New York for the last four years.

Stosur will next play US youngster Vania King, who was 2-1 up in the opening set against Anastasiya Yakimova when the Belarusian retired.

Watch the US Open day two LIVE from 4.45pm on Tuesday on British Eurosport (Sky 410 / Virgin Media 521); Also available on your PC via the Eurosport Player - click on the link under the picture to subscribe.

Reuters / AFP