Revenge, they say, is a dish best served cold - but even on a wet, warm and muggy day at Flushing Meadow yesterday it must have tasted pretty good for Tim Henman.

Britain's number one made the perfect start to his US Open challenge when he proved too sharp and incisive for Spaniard Fernando Vicente, the man who had knocked him out of this year's French Open.

On the red dust of Roland Garros three months ago Vicente had broken the heart of Henman in an exhausting five-set thriller.

On the hard court of Louis Armstrong Stadium there was never any chance of a repeat as Henman displayed his superior all-court skills to triumph 6-3 6-3 6-4.

Henman has come a long way in the three months since Roland Garros. He has reached the final of one ATP event, the semi-finals of another, consolidated his world ranking at number 11 and, perhaps most importantly, beaten his big pal but tennis nemesis Pete Sampras for the first time.

The confidence gathered from such a triumph cannot be underestimated and it was clear to see in the manner in which Henman disposed of the Spaniard.

Henman, however, simply possessed too much armoury. Statistics can, of course, prove anything but the 22 volleying winners for Henman compared to none by Vicente told its own conclusive story. In this mood the 11th seed will take some beating, even if the likes of Richard Krajicek and Sampras lie in wait.

Sampras, who was never at his best, still cruised through his first round match with a 7-6 7-5 6-4 victory over Martin Damm of the Czech Republic in two hours and 22 minutes. World number one Martina Hingis breezed to a 56-minute victory over 101st-ranked Russian Alina Jidkova 6-3, 6-1. The Swiss teen, a 1997 winner here and runner-up the past two years, advanced to face either Czech qualifier Alena Vaskova or American Kristina Brandi.

Nathalie Tauziat rallied to topple the 20-year-old Ludmila Cervanova 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 and reach a second-round match against Venezuela's 103rd-ranked Maria Vento, who upset Belgium's 28th-rated Sabine Applemans 6-4, 6-2.

Ninth seed Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario eliminated South Africa's 63rd-ranked Joanette Kruger 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2). Kruger had a break point in the first game of the second set when the match was halted but Sanchez won three successive points when play resumed on her way to three games in a row.

American 15th seed Jennifer Capriati struggled early before ousting Swiss number 80 Emmanuelle Gagliardi 6-4, 6-0 in 66 minutes.