Venus ventures into last 16

Williams: Into fourth round

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Venus Williams kept the flag flying for American tennis' most famous family as she made light work of qualifier Mandy Minella to reach the fourth round of the US Open.

The third seed will need to up her game if she is to land her third Flushing Meadows title, but the 30-year-old had more than enough on Arthur Ashe Stadium to see off her opponent from Luxembourg in straight sets.

Williams needed two service games to get her bearings and then raced to a 6-2 6-1 win as the 185th-ranked Minella managed to win just a single game on serve.

The first five games of the evening match produced service breaks before Williams took charge.

Minella, 24, finally held serve after seven deuces in the fifth game of the second set, celebrating with a fist pump to cheers from the New York crowd.

Support

Williams, the last woman to win back-to-back US Open titles in 2000 and 2001, was pleased to see her younger sister Serena in the stands for the first time this week.

"It was good to see her," Venus said of the Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, who was unable to defend her US Open crown this year through injury.

"Usually we have a tournament together. Not this time. But it was good to have her back."

Venus, like her sister, did not play during the run-up to the US Open because of an injury, with left knee pain keeping her idle.

"So far I have been OK. I'm just looking to take my game to the next level every round," added the American.

"It's not easy but I feel like I'm doing a really good job with it. My concern is to be able to make the play and be able to play the best I can."

Williams will next play 16th seed Shahar Peer of Israel after she beat Italian 19th seed Flavia Pennetta 6-4 6-4.