"It's been an extreme 12 months," Williams said Monday. "I'm recovering physically and mentally. It's been a little tough, but I'm coming back."
Eighth-seeded Jennifer Capriati, another American woman who pulled out of the Olympics because of an injury, also advanced to the second round, though not quite so gracefully. In a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over Denisa Chladkova, Capriati's health appeared to be fine. Her groundstrokes didn't.
Third-seeded Serena Williams makes a statement, first with her fashion choice, then with her tennis, dispatching Sandra Kleinova in 53 minutes.
(Frank Franklin Ii -- AP)
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While she showed no sign of the hamstring injury that kept her out of the Olympics, Capriati struggled with her opponent. Her backhand, usually reliable, failed her often in the first set, and she acted out accordingly.
She slammed down her racket. She yelled at the umpire. She bristled when a fan told her to "get to work."
"It was pretty frustrating there," Capriati said. "It's scary when everything doesn't work. When I lost the first set, I decided I was just going to start over. I'm so relieved that I pulled it together."
T. Martin Retires After Loss
Todd Martin tearfully announced his retirement from tennis Monday night after a four-set loss to Fabrice Santoro of France. In a 14-year career that began at the U.S. Open in 1990, Martin won eight tournaments and more than $8 million, though he never won a major.
With his booming first serve and smiley disposition, Martin has long been a crowd favorite at the U.S. Open. He reached the final in 1999 and made the semifinals in 1994 and 2000. When he announced his retirement, though, it was nearly 10:30 p.m., and only a handful of fans were around to hear it.
"It's always been a pleasure to play in front of you," Martin told the crowd. "I'm one of the lucky guys who ran into some people who cared and knew a lot about this game and shared their knowledge with me. Otherwise, I would never have been here."
