Henin-Hardenne makes up for lost time
Second seed Justine Henin-Hardenne shrugged off a 90-minute rain delay to open her US Open campaign with a straight-sets win.
This year's French Open champion and Australian Open and Wimbledon finalist wasted little time in dispatching first-round opponent Maria Elena Camerin of Italy 6-2 6-1.
The Belgian, who won the title back in 2003, is trying to become the first player since Martina Hingis in 1997 to reach the final of all four events in the same calendar year.
She started the final leg of that challenge in fine style, wrapping up the first set in 40 minutes.
Henin-Hardenne held a 2-1 lead in the second set when Camerin needed medical attention for what appeared to be a problem with her left thigh.
The Italian eventually left the court for further treatment but must wish she had not bothered returning as Henin-Hardenne raced to victory, winning four straight games in 12 minutes to complete the rout.
Henin-Hardenne next faces 17-year-old American Vania King, who defeated Australia's Alicia Molik 6-3 6-2.
Lindsay Davenport, meanwhile, eased to a straightforward 6-1 6-4 win over Czech Klara Zakopalova in just 52 minutes.
Fourth seed Elena Dementieva of Russia overcame American Laura Granville 6-1 6-4, but sixth-seeded compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 champion, needed a little more work to progress.
She narrowly avoided a repeat of her opening-day exit last year when she took a little over two hours to overcome the challenge of Germany's Sandra Kloesel 6-2 2-6 6-3.
