2010 U.S. Open, Day 1: Big Guns Cruise As Roddick, Federer, Venus Dominate

We've got all the tennis that's fit to print, with a roundup of opening-day action from Flushing Meadows:

•  (9) Andy Roddick def. Stephane Robert, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
All smiles and not a hiccup for the birthday boy and stateside favorite. Robert was quite terrible, which is apparently a side effect of facing three sets of serves in excess of 120 MPH. U-S-A! U-S-A!

•  (3) Venus Williams def. Roberta Vinci, 6-4, 6-1.
For a match with an outcome supposedly in some doubt thanks to a long layoff for Williams, this wasn't even fair. As long as she didn't injure herself further, Venus' chances are in great shape.

•  (1) Roger Federer def. Brian Dabul, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.
And speaking of not even fair ... Federer's greatest gift may be his endless supply of shots there are simply no answer for, by virtue of the other party Not Being Roger Federer.

•  (2) Kim Clijsters def. Greta Arn, 6-0, 7-5.
The defending U.S. Open champ has now won fifteen straight matches at Flushing Meadows, a stat that wasn't always a sure thing this afternoon -- Clijsters trailed 0-4 at one point in the second set.

•  Melanie Oudin def. Olga Savchuk, 6-3, 6-0.
The shoes did not fail this Cinderella, and pop nicely against the blue courts, so bully for adidas and for America's sweetheart.

•  Paul-Henri Mathieu def. (32) Lleyton Hewitt, 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1.
Hewitt's second-half comeback looked promising, but he was completely gassed by the end of a match that flirted with the four-hour mark and ultimately surrendered on a double fault. This is almost too predictable an outcome to even qualify as news, so if you'll excuse us, we're going to go curl up in a Fosters keg for a few hours and mourn our sentimental, brahsome favorite.

•  (24) Daniela Hantuchova def. Dinara Safina, 6-3, 6-4. 
With Safina visibly rattled for much of the match, this wasn't even as close as it looked. Hantuchova should garner opening day best-dressed honors, for her simple hot magenta number.

•  (17) Gael Monfils def. Robert Kendrick, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4.
The first of two five-set screamers in opening-round action, Monfils' match lasted more than three hours (which sort of feels silly to talk about after this past Wimbledon, no?).

•  (5) Robin Söderling def. Andreas Haider-Maurer, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 5-7, 6-4.
The afternoon's next epic ran close to four hours and saw 74 unforced errors on the part of everybody's favorite stubbly Swede.

MISCELLANY OF INTEREST: German soccer hooligans are apparently to blame for Serena Williams' absence  ... Check out the tech scoop on all the nifty, nerdy ways you can track the tournament from the comfort of your own lap ... And if anyone's got video of the twelve-year-old kid who sang a nineteen-minute version of the national anthem at tonight's opening ceremonies, we'll pay handsomely (in internet shoutouts).


For more U.S. Open coverage, visit SB Nation's Daily Forehand. 

Against a player like Argentina's Brian Dabul, Roger Federer frankly doesn't need any help to advance, but it does make for fantastic television when he decides to get fancy. One hour into a sleepy match, up 6-1, 5-3 over Dabul, Federer pulled another between-the-legs shot out of his hat:

Bonus points awarded for not leaving a Roger Rabbit-shaped hole in that back wall. Dabul sort of shrugs, because, really, what are you gonna do? Play resumed its relaxed pace shortly thereafter; Federer's winning ace was almost languid. Final score: 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.

For more U.S. Open coverage, visit SB Nation's Daily Forehand.

Venus Williams didn't look like she had much rust to shake off in Monday's opening-day action at the U.S. Open. Despite being absent from action since Wimbledon due to a knee injury, Williams defeated Roberta Vinci of Italy in short order, 6-4, 6-1.  She did make sort of a funny landing at one point where her knee appeared to go a little sideways, but she brushed it off in postgame interviews.

And because it's Venus, let's get a fashion update: This year's first-round outfit consisted of a short black dress with spaghetti straps and pleather-y looking pleats; classy, but somewhat at odds with her white shoes.

Williams advances to face Canada's Rebecca Marino.

For more U.S. Open coverage, visit SB Nation's Daily Forehand.

American Andy Roddick had no trouble with Stephane Robert, cruising to a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory in the first round of the 2010 U.S. Open. Roddick, the ninth seed, took care of a visibly nervous Robert, whose serve looked especially shaky at times.

Roddick didn't have to do much in the heat. Relying on his characteristically big serve (he averaged 123 MPH on first serves), Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champ, seemed to be on autopilot for most of the match. He had more unforced errors than Robert (25-23) but still needed only 102 minutes to dispatch his opponent.

Fifth-seeded Robin Soderling needed five sets to defeat Andreas Haider-Maurer, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 5-7, 6-4, in the first round of the 2010 U.S. Open. The 6-foot-4-inch Swede, a finalist at the French Open in 2009 and 2010, survived the nearly four-hour match despite 74 unforced errors. Soderling, who broke serve six times, also only managed eight aces and while Haider-Maurer piled up 34 aces and 58 winners.

Despite his struggles in the heat Monday, Soderling remains a darkhorse in New York. Soderling defeated Rafael Nadal at the 2009 French Open, ending the Spaniard's four-year reign at Roland Garros.

No. 17 Gael Monfils will advance to the second round of the 2010 U.S. Open, but unseeded American Robert Kendrick didn’t make it easy.

The match went for 3 hours, 19 minutes, and ended with Monfils breaking Kendrick at 5-4 in the fifth set. Early in the final set, the match momentum was strongly in Kendrick’s favor after he broke the Frenchman to go up 2-1. Serving to take a commanding 3-1 lead, Kendrick blew a 40-love lead to allow Monfils to break back. From there, the two were on-serve until Monfils broke Kendrick a second time to take the match.

Dinara Safina came into the 2010 U.S. Open with high hopes. Despite injuries, she thought she'd be able to atone for last year, when she entered the tournament as the top seed but lost in the third round. According to this New York Times article, she clearly understood what she faced.

“How tough it is to climb, and how easy it is to go down,” Safina said, comparing it to riding a bike in the mountains.

There was no outward clue that Safina would tumble so suddenly to relative obscurity. She spent 26 weeks at No. 1 in 2009. She reached the finals at the Australian and French Opens, and the semifinals at Wimbledon.

Unfortunately for Safina, she didn't quite have enough firepower Monday against No. 24 Daniela Hantuchova, who prevailed 6-3, 6-4. Safina pushed Hantuchova at times, showing more guts than she's usually given credit for, but it didn't matter in the end. Five breaks and 24 winners were enough for Hantuchova, who dispatched Safina in a little more than an hour.

Back to the drawing board for Safina.

American Robert Kendrick is looking to pull off the first big upset of the 2010 U.S. Open against No. 17 Gael Monfils. The two are headed to a deciding fifth set after Kendrick took the fourth set in a tiebreaker. The two have been playing for over two hours, 30 minutes.

Kendrick took the first set 6-4, but Monfils took the next two and appeared to be poised to take the match in four. Kendrick fought back, however, to force a fifth set despite his best weapon — his first serve — letting him down throughout the match.

Andy Roddick is already comfortably in control of his first round match at the 2010 U.S. Open. The ninth-seeded American took the first set from Stephane Robert, 6-3.

Defending champion Kim Clijsters struggled at times, but still managed to defeat Greta Arn, 6-0, 7-5, in the first round of the 2010 U.S. Open. Clijsters fell behind 4-0 in the second set before winning seven of the final eight games of the match.

The second-seeded Clijsters piled up 21 winners (Arn only had 11) and broke Arn's serve six times.

Nikolay Davydenko defeated American Michael Russell in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3, in the first round of the 2010 U.S. Open. It's a good start for the Russian, who made two straight trips to the Open semis in 2006 and 2007.

Still, it wasn't easy for Davydenko. Russell, despite making 46 unforced errors, hung around for 140 minutes.

She still has a very long way to go to match last year’s Cinderella run, but Melanie Oudin got off to a great start Monday at the 2010 U.S. Open, taking out Olga Savchuk in 56 minutes. The final was 6-3, 6-0.

The only trouble for Oudin game down 15-40 on serve at 3-3 in the first set. She managed to save both break points, and from there cruised to a straight set victory. Oudin completely dominated the second set, losing just two points the entire frame.

She started the match playing more defensive tennis, but seemed to settle in after the first few games, become much more aggressive as the match went on. Savchuk was overmatched in the second set, and had no answer for Oudin’s movement and powerful forehand.

Must be the shoes.

Fresh off her stunning French Open title, Italian Francesca Schiavone cruised through her first round match at the 2010 U.S. Open, beating Japan’s Ayumi Morita 6-1, 6-0. She’s the first player to officially advance in the tournament.

The match took under an hour, and featured 28 winners from Schiavone to just six from her opponent.

Melanie Oudin hasn’t let the pressure of expectations bother her so far in her first match of the 2010 U.S. Open.

After making the quarterfinals last year, she is looking for another big run in this year’s tournament. She got off to a good start, taking the opening set from Olga Savchuk in her first round match.

Oudin saved two break points at 3-all, and then broke Savchuk at 4-3. She served out the set with ease, winning it 6-3 in 38 minutes.

The second set is now underway.

After having the word "BELIEVE" embroidered on her adidas during her magical U.S. Open run in 2009, Melanie Oudin debuted her 2010 shoes on Monday, which feature the word "COURAGE." Photo evidence:

Before her first round match against Olga Savchuk she was asked about why she chose that word:

Well, I just decided to put the word "courage" this year as something different, and I really think I need to play with courage this year after I had a great run last year.

So, there you have it.