Tennis US Open: World number one Roger Federer overcame a sticky start to launch his US Open campaign with a 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Spain's Albert Costa yesterday.
The Swiss, bidding to become the first man since Mats Wilander in 1988 to win three grand slam titles in the same year lost his opening service game to the Spaniard.
Costa, who had beaten Federer in their previous two meetings, looked capable of an upset but a double-fault gifted his opponent a scrappy first set.
Federer, looking to improve on a mediocre US Open record, waltzed through the second set although Costa did offer some resistance in the third.
He broke Federer's serve at 3-5 but immediately lost his own as Federer rifled a forehand winner to seal victory in two hours and four minutes. Federer faces Frenchman Olivier Mutis or Cypriot qualifier Marcos Baghdatis in the second round.
Meanwhile, British number two Greg Rusedski saw victory taken from his grasp as lost to Frenchman Cyril Saulnier in a fifth-set tie-break in the first round of the US Open.
After twice coming back from a set down, Rusedski held match point on his own serve at 7-6 in the tie-break, but Saulnier produced three remarkable shots from the back of the court to prevail 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (9/7).
In the women's tournament, Justine Henin-Hardenne says she has finally emerged from a dark tunnel and is ready to defend her US Open title.
The world number one and top seed here was struck down by a lingering viral illness, cytomegalovirus, for a large chunk of the year and it seemed unlikely she would be in a fit state to play at Flushing Meadows.
The 22-year-old returned from an eight-week lay-off to win the gold medal at the Athens Olympics and appears to be once again firing on all cylinders.
"I played six matches in seven days (in Athens) at a very high level," said the Belgian, who thrashed Amelie Mauresmo of France 6-3, 6-3 in the Olympic final nine days ago.
"I was a little bit surprised the way I came back, not only physically, but also with my concentration. I was so happy to be back and that helped me achieve what I did," she said yesterday.
Henin-Hardenne faces 15-year-old Czech qualifier Nicole Vaidisova in the first round today.
Meanwhile, Athens silver medallist Mauresmo opened her Flushing Meadows campaign with a solid, if unspectacular 6-4, 6-2 victory over American Marissa Irvin yesterday.
The second-seeded Frenchwoman, a semi-finalist in 2002, was not at her best but her greater consistency and experience saw her through to a second-round encounter with Julia Vakulenko of Ukraine.
Mauresmo looked relaxed in the early stages as she raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set.
But the 24-year-old Irvin broke back in the ninth game, only for a netted forehand in the 10th to hand Mauresmo the set.
After that, the result was never in doubt.
"I think I made too many errors and let her come back in that first set when I shouldn't have. Overall, though, it was a good start to the tournament," said Mauresmo.
