So, a first bit of pressure for Anett Kontaveit to sustain.

Can she return the favour?

She clenches her fist after landing a wicked backhand winner for 0-15.

Laura Robson
Former British number one on BBC Radio 5 Live

The rules for letting people in has just gone out the window and people are just walking in.

Serena is coming out with some very clear intentions. Kontaveit is lovely - she gets on with everyone, she practices with every one.

A sharp serve gets Kontaveit to deuce and out of trouble for the time being.

A forehand from Williams drops long, and the world number two races on to a forehand to seal the hold. Well saved.

Russell Fuller
Tennis correspondent at Flushing Meadows

Serena struggled to find her serve in the early stages in her first round match - but Serena is starting superbly herself.

Williams goes for a drop shot but just comes up short as she misses a chance to put Kontaveit under pressure following a double fault from the second seed.

No bother! A superb return gives the American two break points.

Huge cheers echo around Arthur Ashe as a couple of big serves put Serena Williams 30-15 up.

Into the net from Kontaveit - and Williams responds with a comfortable game of her own.

Laura Robson
Former British number one on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kontaveit brings a hard hitting game and she is hard to beat when she is on form but she has struggled all year, It took her until well after Wimbledon for her to say she felt better.

She is so consistent but I think it is a different situation tonight, especially when you have the whole stadium against you.

Anett Kontaveit makes a very, very strong start.

A rapid hold to love gets her up and running on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Is this the final time we see Serena Williams in action?

It's time to find out.

Ready? Play!

Serena Williams has won 50 of 61 matches against seeded players at the US Open.

She's also won 17 of 23 when facing a higher seed at her home Slam.

Ranked 413 in the world, with five matches played this season, can she produce an upset?

You'd never bet against her.

Image source, Getty Images

Russell Fuller
Tennis correspondent at Flushing Meadows

It should be an almost impossible ask for Serena Williams tonight to beat Anett Kontaveit and this season she has had just a couple of wins.

Kontaveit has a number two next to her name, but she hasn't had as good a year. She has been struggling with the long term effects of Covid and I am not quite sure mentally whether she can stamp her authority the match.

I am really not sure what is going to happen here.

Nick Kyrgios, as you might expect, has been pretty vocal in his match against France's Benjamin Bonzi on Louis Armstrong.

In the second set, he swore while complaining to the umpire that a fan was smoking marijuana.

But it took until the third set for him to get a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Australian was two sets up, but was broken by Bonzi to go 4-5 down in the third.

He sat in his chair at the change of ends and swore at his box, saying "go home if you're not going to support me" and prompting the umpire's warning.

Needless to say, Bonzi served out the set. The continuation of this match means Britain's Jack Draper will be delayed because he's on Louis Armstrong next.

Laura Robson
Former British number one on BBC Radio 5 Live

I am less impressed with the VIP list than tonight but Tiger Woods is in Serena's box tonight.

Image source, Getty Images

On a night of celebration on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Serena Williams was roared on by the crowd in what could have been her final match on Monday.

Asked if occasions such as that might change her mind about her retirement plans, she said: "It's extremely difficult still because I absolutely love being out there.

"The more tournaments I play, I feel like the more I can belong out there.

"That's a tough feeling to have, and to leave knowing the more you do it, the more you can shine.

"But it's time for me, you know, to evolve to the next thing. I think it's important because there's so many other things that I want to do."

Image source, Getty Images

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport at Flushing Meadows

Image source, BBC Sport

Here we go (again)!

Anett Kontaveit walks out first... cue video montage.

"She's the Queen of Queen's," says narrator Queen Latifah.

Serena set to arrive to her party...

Here come the players now!

First out is Anett Kontaveit, before Serena Williams joins her following a video montage.

A record opening night session crowd of 29,402 lived every shot as Serena Williams came through her opening match in straight sets.

She's going to need the home support to get right behind her once again tonight as she looks to topple the second seed.

The atmosphere was absolutely electric on Monday. No doubt we can expect more of the same.

Image source, Getty Images

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport at Flushing Meadows

Image source, BBC Sport

Like on Monday night, if you aren't wearing a Serena Williams T-shirt you haven't received the memo.

New York natives Frederica Green, from The Bronx, and Lois Williams, from Manhattan, turned up early to grab seats on the front ledge of the water feature in Flushing Meadows' South Plaza.

The pair bought grounds tickets yesterday so they could see what might be Williams' final match of her singles career on the big screen outside Ashe.

"I've been watching Serena for a long time and I'm very proud of her. I hope she wins today but if she doesn't then she's already done enough and I love her," says Frederica.

"We bought our ticket yesterday purely because of Serena Williams and ordered the T-shirts from a website specially for this."

What are they expecting tonight?

"Energy and gusto, like always. I love the way she plays," adds Lois.

"I want her to win the whole thing but from what I'm observing I'll be happy if she gets to the second week."

Image source, Getty Images

Here's a recap of what's happened so far on day three at the US Open:

• Andy Murray reached the US Open third round for the first time since 2016 as he overcame a confident start by young American wildcard Emilio Nava;
• Joe Salisbury and American team-mate Rajeev Ram began the defence of their US Open men's doubles title with a straight-sets win;
• World number three Maria Sakkari was knocked out of the US Open in the second round by China's Wang Xiyu.
• You can keep up to date with the latest scores here.

Image source, Getty Images

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport at Flushing Meadows

The Serena party was really banging outside Ashe a little while ago.

From behind his decks in the Arthur Ashe Garden, a DJ was pumping out loads of rap - including T-Pain and Ludacris - as fans gathered around danced to the beats.

Led by a group of college dancers, people of all ages were down there and going wild to the tunes.

And things really popped off when he dropped the sound of the summer - Beyonce's Break My Soul, of course.

That's how you crowd-please.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport