Easy for top seeds in opening round of US Open

That self-confidence comes not merely from her success in three-setters this season,but also from three Grand Slam titles,including the 2006 US Open. Its the sort of track record the 102nd-ranked Watson hopes to have one day; Mondays match was only her fifth at a major tournament.

Sharapova won six Grand Slam matches at Wimbledon alone this summer,reaching the final there before losing to Petra Kvitova. Fresh off that triumph,Kvitova a 21-year-old from the Czech Republic seeded No. 5 in Flushing Meadows failed to follow it up,flopping at the US Open with a 7-6 (3) 6-3 loss to 48th-ranked Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania.

Kvitova is the first reigning Wimbledon womens champion to lose her first match at the US Open in the same season. The earliest a reigning Wimbledon champion has gone out in New York has been the third round,and that too only thrice Sharapova in 2004,Conchita Martinez in 1994 and Billie Jean King in 1973. She was also the only seeded woman to exit on Day One of the years last major tournament,joined on the way out by No. 15 Viktor Troicki of Serbia,a 3-6 6-3 4-6,7-5,7-5 loser against Alejandro Falla of Colombia.

At night,2000 and 2001 champion Venus Williams played her first match in two months and beat 91st-ranked Vesna Dolonts of Russia 6-4 6-3. Williams hit six aces and total 28 winners against the weary Dolonts,who spent 12 hours traveling from Moscow on Monday after having flights canceled Saturday and Sunday because of Tropical Storm Irene.

Its always nerve-racking to play the first match after a layoff in a major. Its not really my first choice at all, said Williams,who pulled out of recent tune-up tournaments because of a virus. But I just tried to rely on experience and,I dont know,just tried to get after it. So I was pleased with the level.

Federer equals Agassi

In the days last match,16-time major winner Roger Federer beat 54th-ranked Santiago Giraldo of Colombia 6-4 6-3 6-2 to collect his 224th victory in Grand Slam play,equaling Andre Agassi for second-most in the Open era. It doesnt need to be pretty. I dont think Ive ever played my very,very best in the first round. Its always nice to be winning matches, said Federer,who now trails only Jimmy Connors career total of 233.

Early winners included No. 7 Gael Monfils of France; No. 8 Mardy Fish of the United States,who beat Tobias Kamke of Germany 6-2 6-2 6-1; No. 9 Tomas Berdych of Germany,the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up; No. 13 Richard Gasquet of France; No. 22 Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine; and No. 27 Marin Cilic of Croatia.

Also advancing to the second round were No. 2 Vera Zvonareva of Russia,a finalist last year at Wimbledon and the US Open; 16-year-old Madison Keys the youngest and,at 455th,lowest-ranked woman in the draw who beat 37-year-old fellow American Jill Craybas 6-2 6-4; and No. 12 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland,who beat her younger sister Urszula Radwanska 6-2 6-3.