IANS/DPA

New York, Sep 1: Former champion Kim Clijsters returned to the US Open four years after her title success, joining a pair of seeds in the second round at the last Grand Slam of the season Monday.

The 26-year-old Belgian, who quit the game two and a half years ago, fully intent on starting a family and retreating into suburbia with her American basketballer husband, marked her return to the big stage 6-1, 6-1 over Viktoriya Kutuzova of Ukraine.

Clijsters, mother of an infant daughter, beat Kutuzova, 21, three years ago in a Wimbledon walkover. The Belgian is playing in her third event since deciding on a return and reaching the Cincinnati quarter-finals this month upon her debut.

Clijsters' win marked her 24th at Flushing Meadows against five defeats over seven appearances. The winner of 34 career singles titles got the inspiration to make a return while training earlier this year for a May Wimbledon exhibition marking the debut of the new moveable roof at the All England club.

Women's eighth seed Victoria Azarenka got in an opening win, defeating Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru 6-1, 6-1, while Polish 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska hammered Austrian Patricia Mayr 6-1, 6-2.

American Vania King advanced 2-1 with Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus retired. Italy's Francesca Schiavone handed another Austrian a loss as she defeated Yvonne Meusburger 6-1, 6-2.