NEW YORK -- Venus Williams slipped into a Miami Dolphins T-shirt after her second-round victory Wednesday afternoon. The team's new part-owner said she is excited about the home opener Sept. 21 against the Indianapolis Colts, and she is eager to get involved with her hometown club.

But, rest assured, she won't be giving Bill Parcells any suggestions on draft day.

``Oh, my God, no,'' Williams said, smiling. ``No, that's not part of my expertise.''

She is far more comfortable on the tennis court, even when she is forced to wear heavy tape on her left knee, as she did for her 6-4, 6-2 victory over knee-sock-wearing American Bethanie Mattek-Sands. Williams declines to discuss medical details, but her father, Richard, said she is suffering from tendinitis. Her movement was visibly restricted in her first-round match, but she moved better Wednesday.

``I really just put all my focus on the match and getting to the ball, and I didn't focus on anything else,'' Williams said. ``Even with my body, I try to put that out of my thoughts. I started [playing] in December, and it's September now, so I guess it's not a huge surprise that at this time of the year things start to be a little sore and start to hurt. But I'm very determined.''

`I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST'

Williams said she iced the knee every hour and was ``really, really aggressive'' in her treatment to prepare for the match. She is scheduled to play doubles with her sister Serena on Thursday, and she said she does not plan to withdraw.

Serena should be well-rested: She beat Melinda Czink 6-1, 6-1 in 53 minutes Wednesday night, sending a warning to the rest of the field. Williams, wearing a black dress and a don't-mess-with-me face, dominated from the start. She said she wanted to get off the court in a hurry to have time to rest for doubles.

Rafael Nadal battled tendinitis in both knees all summer and missed nine weeks of action. He was unable to defend his Wimbledon title, a big reason he relinquished the No. 1 ranking to Roger Federer.

Nadal had looked rusty during his return in Cincinnati, but he was covering the court much more easily Wednesday in his first-round match against Richard Gasquet.

Nadal never faced break point in the 101-minute match and won 6-2, 6-2, 6-3. Gasquet also was making a comeback after a two-and-a-half-month break, but his was for a drug suspension that later was reversed. Gasquet tested positive for traces of cocaine during the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne in late March, and he argued that he ingested the drug accidentally when he kissed an unknown woman at a South Beach nightclub.

Gasquet, who had not played since an April tournament in Rome, said he received a warm reception from other players in the locker room. He said the drug test result stunned him.

`INCREDIBLE' ORDEAL

``If in the beginning of the year someone will tell you, `You will win the four Grand Slams or you will be tested for cocaine,' for sure I will tell you I will win the four Grand Slams,'' he said. ``Incredible, but it happened. Now it's finished, and I can play, and that's most important.''

Nadal showed up for the match sporting a short haircut and a yellow shirt with black trim, inspired by New York taxis. And he maneuvered around the court the way cabbies negotiate the crowded Manhattan streets, with carefully calculated moves.

``I played well, no?'' Nadal said. ``Very happy. I practiced one week before here, and I was practicing well. I am very happy to win against a difficult opponent like Richard.''

Nadal said his two-month hiatus felt ``like two years,'' but he accepts that injuries are part of sports: ``I am watching a lot of players with bandages on the knees, not only me,'' he said.

Jimmy Connors said this about Nadal's preparation for the U.S. Open: ``There's a fine line between playing to get in shape and wearing yourself out. The two weeks of a Grand Slam is the toughest tennis of the year. I don't know anybody's body who could take the pounding Nadal's did -- finals every week, 10 or 11 weeks in a row. It's mind-boggling.''

Nadal said his fans helped him get through it: ``When you have a hard time and receive all this support, it always makes you feel much better.''

Federer had a tougher time in his night match against 28-year-old German journeyman Simon Greul. The world No. 1 and defending champion had to save two set points to hold on in the second set, and he went down 4-1 in the final set.

``It's never easy the first night session in New York,'' Federer said. ``I saw him play a couple times, level really high, lot of intensity. Great returns. Tough match, but a fun one.''

Others who advanced Wednesday included Kim Clijsters, Flavia Pennetta, Juan Martin del Potro and American wild card Vania King, who upset No. 15 Samantha Stosur 7-5, 6-4 to reach the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time.

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