Serena Williams extended her US Open farewell with a gritty opening win on an entertaining night packed with hope and celebration in New York.
A near-capacity 25,000 crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium willed on their idol and she responded in typical fashion.
Williams, 40, will play Estonian second seed Anett Kontaveit in the second round on Wednesday.
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, who is one short of Australian Margaret Court's all-time record, is also playing in the doubles alongside older sister Venus, adding another exciting element to what she hopes will be a long goodbye this fortnight.