NEW YORK — Leave it to Serena Williams to come up with a creative way to judge just how much the air was whipping around at the U.S. Open on Tuesday night.

"I usually gauge the wind by my hair," Williams said. "If it's really going forward, I'm thinking, `It's really windy.'"

That it was. It just didn't bother Williams too much in a 6-1, 6-1 victory over 75th-ranked CoCo Vandeweghe of the U.S. in the first round at Flushing Meadows.

Williams needed less than an hour to move into the second round of a tournament she won in 1999, 2002 and 2008.

Coming off titles at Wimbledon and the London Olympics, Williams looked sharp against Vandeweghe, committing only nine unforced errors despite the tricky conditions.

"I didn't hit anything too hard, because the ball – I wouldn't have known where it was going to go," Williams said.

In search of her 15th Grand Slam title, Williams improved to 48-1 in first-round matches at major tournaments. The only loss was at this year's French Open.

During her on-court interview after Tuesday's match, she gave a shout-out to another Olympic gold medalist, New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, who was in the stands cheering for Williams.

Vandeweghe, who fell 7-5, 6-3 to Williams in the Bank of the West Classic final earlier this summer, had trouble dealing with her toss in the blustery wind. She finished with six double-faults and only held serve once in seven tries.

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  • Agnieszka Radwanska

    Agnieszka Radwanska, of Poland, returns a shot to Nina Bratchikova, of Russia, at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Agnieszka Radwanska

    Agnieszka Radwanska, of Poland, returns a shot to Nina Bratchikova, of Russia, at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Agnieszka Radwanska

    Agnieszka Radwanska, of Poland, returns a shot to Nina Bratchikova, of Russia, at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Nina Bratchikova

    Nina Bratchikova, of Russia, serves to Agnieszka Radwanska, of Poland, during the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Ryuichi Sakamoto

    Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto plays the piano at the U.S. ambassador's residence in Tokyo Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, as he unveils a piece of music he composed specially to mark the opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition in Tokyo this fall.

  • Ana Ivanovic

    Serbia's Ana Ivanovic serves to Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Ana Ivanovic

    Serbia's Ana Ivanovic serves to Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Agnieszka Radwanska

    Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland against Nina Bratchikova of Russia during their women's first round 2012 US Open match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on August 28, 2012.

  • Elina Svitolina

    Ukraine's Elina Svitolina returns a shot to Agnieszka Radwanska, of Poland, in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Elina Svitolina

    Ukraine's Elina Svitolina serves to Agnieszka Radwanska, of Poland, in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Ana Ivanovic

    Serbia's Ana Ivanovic returns a shot to Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Elina Svitolina

    Elina Svitolina of the Ukraine reacts during her match against Serbia's Ana Ivanovic in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Elina Svitolina

    Elina Svitolina of the Ukraine returns a shot to Serbia's Ana Ivanovic in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Tomas Berdych

    Tomas Berdych serves to David Goffin, of Belgium, in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • David Goffin

    Belgium's David Goffin returns a shot to Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • David Goffin

    David Goffin, of Belgium, wipes his face while playing Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Peng Shuai

    China's Peng Shuai serves to Elena Vesnina, of Russia, in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Peng Shuai

    China's Peng Shuai reacts during her match against Elena Vesnina, of Russia, in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Elena Vesnina

    Elena Vesnina, of Russia, returns a shot to China's Peng Shuai in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Jimmy Wang

    Taiwan's Jimmy Wang returns a shot to Croatia's Ivo Karlovic in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Jimmy Wang

    Taiwan's Jimmy Wang serves to Croatia's Ivo Karlovic in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Ana Ivanovic

    Serbia's Ana Ivanovic reacts during her match against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Ivo Karlovic

    Croatia's Ivo Karlovic returns a shot to Taiwan's Jimmy Wang in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Elina Svitolina

    Ukraine's Elina Svitolina reacts in the first round of play against Serbia's Ana Ivanovic at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Ana Ivanovic

    Serbia's Ana Ivanovic signs autographs afer her match against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Ivo Karlovic

    Croatia's Ivo Karlovic serves to Taiwan's Jimmy Wang in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Andy Roddick

    Andy Roddick returns a shot to Rhyne Williams at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Rhyne Williams

    Rhyne Williams returns a shot to Andy Roddick during the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Jo-Wilifried Tsonga

    Jo-Wilifried Tsonga of France returns a shot to Slovakia's Karol Beck in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Andy Roddick

    Andy Roddick returns a shot to Rhyne Williams in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Andy Roddick

    Andy Roddick serves to Rhyne Williams in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • David Goffin

    Belgium's David Goffin returns a shot to Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Andy Roddick

    Andy Roddick returns a shot to Rhyne Williams in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Milos Raonic

    Canada's Milos Raonic returns a shot to Colombia's Santiago Giraldo in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Santiago Giraldo

    Colombia's Santiago Giraldo returns a shot to Canada's Milos Raonic in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Milos Raonic

    Canada's Milos Raonic reacts during a match against Colombia's Santiago Giraldo in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • US Open

    Fans watch a match during the first round of play at the Grandstand stadium during the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Jo-Wilifried Tsonga

    Jo-Wilifried Tsonga returns a shot to Slovakia's Karol Beck in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.

  • Jo-Wilifried Tsonga

    France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga returns a shot to Slovakia's Karol Beck in the first round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York.