Henin-Hardenne Recovers Against 15-year-old at US Open

US Open favorite and world No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne put down a challenge from 15-year-old Czech comer and qualifier Nicole Vaidisova Tuesday at the US Open in her opening match, coming back from a 1-4 deficit in the second set to win 6-1, 6-4.

"It's not easy to play the first round," said Henin-Hardenne, whose opponent won her career-first WTA title earlier this summer at Vancouver. "I kind of went to sleep but then I played really well from 4-1 down in the second. You need to stay focused."

Other seeds into the second round were (4)Anastasia Myskina (d. Cervanova 1-and-0), (5)Lindsay Davenport (d. Kurhajcova, feeding a bagel in the second), (7)Maria "Grunt-o-rama" Sharapova (d. Granville in three), (9)Svetlana Luznetsova (silencing Sesil "The Mouth" Karatantcheva 2-and-0), (11)Venus (d. Mandula), (13)Paola Suarez (d. (Q)Liu), (14)Nadia Petova (d. Zheng surrendering one game), (19)Silvia Farina Elia (d. (Q)Abagail "Hit Me Baby One More Time" Spears in three), (27)Mary Pierce (d. French countrywoman Loit), (20)Chanda Rubin (d. Sanchez Lorenzo), (21)Amy "Joltin' Joe" Frazier (d. American countrywoman McCain), (26)Elena "Lina" Bovina (d. Marrero), and (29)Eleni Daniilidou (d. Talaja in three).

Sent home early from this year's Open were seeds (24)Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi (l. to Asagoe 6-1 in the third), and (25)Elena Likhovtseva (l. to Russian countrywoman Kirilenko).

Winners in all-unseeded meetings were 30-year-old American Jill Craybas (d. Pisnik), 31-year-old Israeli qualifier Tzipora Obziler (d. (Q)Widjaja), Katarina "Robotnik" Srebotnik (d. Tatiana "The Pocket Baseliner" Panova), American Lisa Raymond (d. Jidkova), Aussies Sam Stosur (d. Razzano) and Nicole Pratt (d. Castano in three), Spaniard Virginia Ruano Pascual (d. the hapless Alexandra "Dr. A" Stevenson), Anabel "Funky Cold" Medina Garrigues (d. Strycova), American qualifier Shikha Uberoi (d. Obata), Kristina "You're a Fine Girl" Brandi (d. Sequera), Serb Jelena Jankovic (d. Nuria Llagostera "Pancho" Vives), Russian Anna Chakvetadze (d. Barbara "Don't Give a" Schett), Dally Randriantefy (d. Kirkland), Antonella Serra "Nevada" Zanetti (d. Mashona "Little Sis" Washington), Maria Elena Camerin (d. Melinda "The Fifth Element" Czink), and Arantxa Parra Santonja (d. Weingartner).

On court today are Daniela "The Former Walking Stick" Hantuchova vs. (17)Molik, Lee-Waters vs. (3)Serena in an all-American, (8)Capriati vs. Magui "Don't Call Me Maggie" Serna, Vakulenko vs. (2)Mauresmo, (6)Elena "Second Serve Suffers From" Dementieva vs. Beltrame, in doubles (5)Navratilova/Raymond vs. Julie "Play a Little" Ditty/Reeves in an all-American, Callens vs. (10)Vera "Warren" Zvon-areva, Haynes vs. (22)Magdalena "Call Me Maggie" Maleeva, Douchevina vs. Marion "Roly Poly" Bartoli, (15)Patty "Handshake" Schnyder vs. Iveta "Not Choke" Benesova, (31)Vento-Kabchi vs. Schruff, (16)Schiavone vs. Foretz, Kostanic vs. Linetskaya, Gisela "Sgt." Dulko vs. (12)Sugiyama, Black vs. (28)Dechy, (30)Golovin vs. Morigami, and (23)Fabiola "The Fabulous One" Zuluaga vs. Garbin.