On the women’s side in first-round action the notable winners were American Jamie Hampton topping countrywoman (WC) Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-1 in the third, American (WC) Madison Keys outlasting countrywoman Melanie Oudin in three, and American (WC) Taylor Townsend getting her first WTA win, beating Lucie Hradecka from a set down.

Men’s Notes: Half the seeds are making their debut in D.C…Fish opens against Bjorn Phau, then the winner of Mahut-Berankis…(5) Andujar starts against Blake…wildcards went to Steve Johnson, Berankis (who is in the final today at L.A.) and Brian Baker…Radek Stepanek won the title last year…No returning champions in the field with the top players at the London Olympics.

On Monday Oudin earned her first title by beating a former world No. 1, Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 6-2. Oudin is now 2-0 career vs. Jankovic after beating her at Wimbledon a couple years back.

Oudin beat Jankovic in their only previous meeting, at Wimbledon in 2009.

“I wasn’t playing really well,” Roddick said. “I moved just horrendously out here. My first step is just so bad on this stuff. I feel like I’m always shuffling or hopping or not stopping or something. So my footwork on this stuff now is just really bad.”

Juan Martin Del Potro, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Venus Williams headline opening day at the French Open.

Think U.S. women’s tennis is on the rise? Check below, you be the judge. The 2011 Tennis-X Top-American-Not-Named-Williams Standings takes into account matches played by U.S. players not named Serena or Venus Williams during the 2011 US Open Series.

“I feel relieved when I look at the score or the match after playing three tiebreaks in Madrid against him,” Federer said of his fellow 29 year old. “It’s definitely slower than Madrid. So I think Feliciano was maybe not getting the free points he was looking and hoping for. The important thing from my side was to be solid in my own serve, which I was all the way through from start to finish, and I thought I played a good match.”

Kim Clijsters is back from injury and seeded No. 2. It will be interesting to see if the Belgian can quickly up her game to the physical and mental rigors of the red clay. Clijsters will start against Belarus’ Anastasiya Yakimova, and is looking at a possible third-rounder against No. 25 seed Maria Kirilenko, and fourth round against No. 7 Maria Sharapova, facing a Russian “Maria” onslaught.

Mattek-Sands was injured, but clay is her worst surface. The Williams sisters never play Fed Cup, and they only would have played this tie to maintain their Olympics eligibility. Venus Williams reportedly retained her eligibility for the Olympics by hopping on the plane to Stuttgart and sitting in the stands for the U.S. How sad is that?