Roger Federer let his tennis do the talking at the U.S. Open on Monday but it was Serena Williams who dazzled the crowd when she blazed to victory under the Flushing Meadows lights.
Top seed Federer's 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Spain's Albert Costa was routine for the Swiss who is bidding to become the first player since Mats Wilander in 1988 to win three grand slam titles in the same year.
On a stifling Arthur Ashe Court the world number one took a while to find his rhythm against an opponent who beat him on their two previous meetings, but a Costa double-fault gifted him the first set and he was rarely troubled again.
"I knew I had to play aggressive today and make sure I got a lot of serves in," said Federer, who lost to Costa in Rome this year.
"I figured out how to play him today, so I'm happy about that."
After second seed Amelie Mauresmo and Jennifer Capriati both eased into the second round of the women's singles, two-times champion Serena showed off her Open credentials with a quickfire 6-1, 6-3 victory over Sandra Kleinova.
Czech Kleinova admitted she was shaking before walking on court, and Serena's outfit of knee-length boots, denim skirt and diamond-studded crop top would hardly have done much to settle her nerves.
Williams was told beforehand by the USTA that she would only be allowed to wear her boots during the warm-up, but after reverting to more traditional tennis shoes she trampled over the world number 84 and clinched victory with a booming forehand return after 53 minutes.
"I thought I played at a decent level," said Williams who said her latest outfit was inspired by American heartthrob James Dean. "I've finally got to a point where I'm playing better and focussing better."
SEEDS ADVANCE
Earlier Mauresmo, still looking for her first grand slam title, enjoyed a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 victory against American Marissa Irvin while eighth seed Capriati recovered from a poor start to beat Czech Denisa Chladkova 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Capriati, three times a semi-finalist at Flushing Meadows, was given an early scare by Chladkova as she struggled in a gusting wind but showed her normal battling qualities to recover.
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Men's third seed Carlos Moya also had to dig deep against 19-year-old American wildcard Brian Baker, losing the first set before coming through 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.
Moya, enjoying his highest seeding at the U.S. Open, was helped when Baker suffered a leg injury at the start of the third set.
"It was very hot and humid out there and I started badly, my legs were a bit weak when we finished the first set," said the Spaniard, who reached the semi-finals in 1998, the year of his French Open triumph.
There was a notable lack of shocks in Monday's play, although there were some seeded casualties.
HOME CHEER
In the men's singles Wimbledon semi-finalist Mario Ancic, the 27th seed, was beaten in straight sets by Belgium's Olivier Rochus, while in the women's 18th seed Karolina Sprem lost to compatriot Jelena Kostanic and American 32nd seed Meghann Shaughnessy fell to Marion Bartoli of France 6-6, 6-4.
With Andre Agassi in late action and Andy Roddick playing on Tuesday, some of the less celebrated American men provided early home cheer as Olympic silver medallist Mardy Fish and Taylor Dent both moved through to the second round.
Fish, who was beaten by Nicolas Massu in the Athens final, came through 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 against Spaniard David Ferrer, while Dent was leading 6-1, 2-1 against Younes El Aynaoui when the Moroccan retired with back trouble.
Elsewhere in the men's draw, former finalist Greg Rusedski, squandered two match points as he slipped to a five-set defeat against Frenchman Cyril Saulnier, 25th seed Jiri Novak trounced fellow Czech Radek Stepanek 7-5, 6-1, 6-3 and 16th seed Andrei Pavel had a four-set win over Finland's Jarkko Nieminen.
