ESPN Tennis

NEW YORK -- Once the showers went away, Justine Henin-Hardenne went to work at the U.S. Open.

Efficient as always, Henin-Hardenne waited out a 90-minute rain delay and became the first top player to win at this year's tournament, breezing past Maria Elena Camerin 6-2, 6-1 Monday.

"It wasn't my best tennis, for sure," the second-seeded Belgian said. "I'm happy I played big enough today."

Former women's champions Henin-Hardenne (2003), Svetlana Kuznetsova (2004) and Lindsay Davenport (1998) were on the first-day schedule. Davenport, still recovering from a shoulder injury, won in straight sets over Klara Zakopalova, 6-4, 6-1. Kuznetsova survived with a three-set win over Sandra Kloesel, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.

Henin-Hardenne won without a hitch -- or challenge. This is the first Grand Slam event to employ instant replay, though neither she nor Camerin opted to contest any line calls.

Henin-Hardenne won the French Open in June for her fifth major title.

"I think it's wide open this year," she said.

Camerin needed to get her left thigh taped during the second set, and grew increasingly frustrated as the match wore on. Henin-Hardenne was steady from the start -- she had zero double-faults, to Camerin's seven -- and took about a dozen practice serves while her Italian opponent was getting treatment.

Also on the women's side, No. 6 Kuznetsova beat Sandra Kloesel of Germany 6-2, 2-6, 6-3; No. 10 Davenport defeated Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-4; No. 21 Shahar Peer of Israel beat Vasilisa Bardina of Russia 6-2, 6-2; No. 22 Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia topped Akiko Morigami of Japan, 6-2, 6-3; No. 26 Marion Bartoli of France defeated Olga Poutchkova of Russia 6-4, 6-0; No. 28 Ai Sugiyama of Japan beat Zuzana Ondraskova of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 6-0; and No. 33 Vera Zvonareva of Russia beat Marta Domachowska of Poland 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press