Venus Williams Cruises Past Fellow American Mattek-Sands

American Venus Williams rolled past Bethanie Mattek-Sands on Tuesday to advance past the first round of the 2012 U.S. Open with posture. Williams defeated Mattek-Sands in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1.

It didn't start off as planned, as Williams struggled to begin her match against Mattek-Sands. But she rebounded in what CBS Sports' Brian Stubits called "vintage Venus" fashion, taking 15 of the next 16 points to put it away.

Per Stubits:

The most impressive part of it all? It looked like vintage Venus. She was hammering serves, crushing forehand volleys, picking apart the corners. She made it tough to remember that her condition had seen her fall all the way to the 46th ranking in the world, an unseeded position at the U.S. Open.

Williams' performance at Arthur Ashe Stadium was promising considering her recent health problems. She was diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease, a year ago and had to withdraw from the 2011 U.S. Open because of it.

For more on Williams and the 2012 U.S. Open, check out SB Nation's tennis hub.