Stosur wins in style
Sam Stosur won the first 19 points as she began the defence of her US Open title in style with a 6-1 6-1 victory over Croatia's Petra Martic.
The Australian, seeded seventh this year, was a surprise winner over Serena Williams 12 months ago but is under the radar again this time after failing to build on her maiden grand slam title.
She certainly made a statement, though, leading 21-year-old Croatian Martic 4-0 and 40-0 before she dropped a point, and she was hardly less dominant thereafter.
It took Stosur only 51 minutes to clinch victory and set up a second-round match against either Edina Gallovits-Hall of Romania or Switzerland's Stefanie Voegele.
Spain's 27th seed Anabel Medina Garrigues was an early casualty, though, the clay-court specialist going down 6-3 6-3 to Czech Lucie Hradecka.
Shortly after Stosur and Martic walked off court, a thunderstorm hit Flushing Meadows, delaying play for more than two hours. But matches were scheduled to begin again shortly after 2.30pm local time.
When play did begin again, ninth seed and former French Open champion Li Na wasted no time wrapping up a 6-2 6-3 victory over British number one Heather Watson.
Wimbledon quarter-finalist Sabine Lisicki and Julia Goerges both crashed out, with 16th seed Lisicki losing 4-6 6-2 6-2 to Romania's Sorana Cirstea and 18th seed Goerges going down 7-6 (7/4) 6-1 to Czech Kristyna Pliskova.
To complete a bad day for Germany, Andrea Petkovic, who is playing her first grand slam of the year after knee and ankle injuries, lost 6-2 7-5 to Swiss Romina Oprandi.
