Roddick blasts like in past

NEW YORK - That Andy Roddick's last match as a twentysomething would not be his last match at the 2012 U.S. Open was hardly in doubt Tuesday, especially whenever he was launching that intimidating, tough-to-handle serve of his.

To close the first set: ace at 141 mph. To close the second: ace at 134 mph. To close the third: ace at 127 mph.

Yes, even as Roddick's 30th birthday approaches on Thursday, even as his body has succumbed to injury after injury, that serve is pretty much still the same as it ever was. Now that he more frequently faces opponents who grew up cheering for him - such as 21-year-old qualifier Rhyne Williams of Knoxville, Tenn., the foil for Tuesday's 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory - Roddick knows more than ever he needs to rely on the best thing he has, and 20 aces helped this time.

"You really don't see that shot," Williams said glowingly about Roddick's serve.

Roddick's 2003 U.S. Open was the last Grand Slam singles title for an American man, the longest drought in history for a country that produced Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors.

Roddick found himself in an era dominated by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal - and, more recently and to a lesser extent, Novak Djokovic, who began defense of his U.S. Open title by overwhelming 69th-ranked Paolo Lorenzi of Italy 6-1, 6-0, 6-1 on Tuesday night - and while he is without a second major championship for his resume, he kept adapting his game to try to do just that.

Roddick dedicated himself to stronger fitness. He learned a better backhand. He improved his volleying.

"I saw the way the game was going. You have to get stronger and quicker. I don't think there was much room for a plodder who could hit the ball pretty hard," Roddick said. "It was a conscious effort, at times, and I feel like that's added to longevity a little bit."

After dropping the first two games, Venus Williams used her own powerful serve to right herself and beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the U.S., 6-3, 6-1.

Williams, who has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, won the 2000 and 2001 U.S. Opens, two of her seven career Grand Slam titles. That's half as many as her younger sister, Serena, who began her bid for No. 15 with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over 75th-ranked CoCo Vandeweghe.

"Venus is amazing. She's the ultimate role model for me," Serena Williams said. "She's the ultimate fighter and champion - everything she's gone through and is going through. I have no excuses anymore. She makes me a better person."

One of the day's most notable upsets was turned in by a young, up-and-coming American, as 19-year-old Sloane Stephens, who is ranked 44th, eliminated 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, 6-3, 6-4.

One other exit of significance: 2009 runner-up Caroline Wozniacki, who began the year ranked No. 1 but has struggled and was seeded eighth, lost 6-2, 6-2 against 96th-ranked Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania. Bothered by a bad right knee, Wozniacki also lost in the first round at Wimbledon.