Serena Williams, the U.S. Open champ, is the strong favorite to win the Billie Jean King Cup Monday night

A good indicator of the favorite to win the Billie Jean King Cup at Madison Square Garden tonight might be who has fared best on New York hardcourts.

Answer: top-ranked Serena Williams, who beat two stars in tonight’s field — sister Venus and former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic — last year on the way to a third U.S. Open title.

The exhibition’s fourth star, Ana Ivanovic, has never even reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals.