The 2006 installment of America's Grand Slam opened under rainy skies, but by early afternoon, the courts had been dried and a full menu of first round action was underway. An uninspiring show court schedule (including three lopsided blowouts in Arthur Ashe Stadium) had the fans scrambling for precious seats on the densely populated outer courts.

(33) Vera Zvonareva vs. Marta Domachowska
Women's Singles: First Round
Court 8

Vera Zvonareva has become better known for her anguished on-court antics (including an unrivaled penchant for crying) than for the talent that once carried her into the world's Top 10. Zvonareva recently broke out of a prolonged slump, though, and ascended to a seeded position in the draw after Venus Williams withdrew. Her opponent: Marta Domachowska, a 20-year-old whose up-and-down results meet with heavy scrutiny in her homeland of Poland.

Zvonareva broke serve for a 3-1 lead in the first set, but immediately handed the break back. Domachowska held to 3-3 and survived three deuces to hold again for 4-4. Zvonareva was already chastising herself, but she kept a full-scale meltdown at bay and held at love for a 5-4 edge. Game 10 was another tight test of Domachowska's serve, but it ended with Zvonareva missing a backhand and glumly staring at her racquet.

Domachowska unleashed a winning forehand return to set up a break point chance in Game 11, but Zvonareva fought it off and eventually carved under a nifty drop shot to hold for 6-5. Domachowska's serve, shaky throughout, produced a double fault for 30-40 in Game 12. A long rally ensued on set point, but Zvonareva ultimately sent a backhand long and dropped her racquet in disgust. Two points later, Vera missed a forehand and resumed talking to herself as the set went into a tiebreak...

VZ serving: Zvonareva opens with a service winner -- 1-0 ZVONAREVA

MD: Zvonareva is just barely long with a backhand -- 1-1

MD: A deep hitting rally ends on a cross-court Zvonareva forehand winner -- 2-1 ZVONAREVA

VZ: Domachowska is long with a backhand return of a first serve -- 3-1 ZVONAREVA

VZ: Zvonareva lets an overhead bounce, then puts away the smash -- 4-1 ZVONAREVA

MD: Missing the sideline with a forehand, Zvonareva skeptically looks for a mark -- 4-2 ZVONAREVA

MD: Zvonareva wildly misfires on a backhand -- 4-3 ZVONAREVA

VZ: Domachowska sends a forehand wide -- 5-3 ZVONAREVA

VZ: Zvonareva coughs up a double fault (long) -- 5-4 ZVONAREVA

MD: Good rally ends with Domachowska missing a defensive backhand -- 6-4 ZVONAREVA

MD: Domachowska nets a backhand to surrender the set -- 7-4 ZVONAREVA

The sloppy tiebreak was nothing to write home about, but it gave Zvonareva the momentum she needed. The emotional Russian needed only 30 minutes to secure the second set and wrap up a 7-6, 6-3 victory. Zvonareva's through to the second round and the tape job on her left wrist appears to be merely precautionary.

Practice court happenings: Fans starved for entertainment during the rain delay got a bit of a show from James Blake and Andy Murray. They practiced together on Court 4 while other courts were still being dried... Andreea Vanc picked up a rolling squeegee and helped dry Court 18 herself so she and doubles partner Anastassia Rodionova could have a hit before noon. Rodionova's singles match was pushed back into the evening, so she and Vanc made their way out to Court 5 for a warmup later in the day... Also holding two separate practice sessions on Monday was Guillermo Coria, working hard to redeem a season ruined by shoulder woes and service yips... Mariano Zabaleta was the practice partner for Feliciano Lopez before F-Lo scored his upset win over Ivan Ljubicic.... She may be a reigning US Open Series champion, but Ana Ivanovic still had to play four-to-a-court for her off-day practice session. Ivanovic hit with coach David Taylor while sharing Court 18 with Sania Mirza and Kveta Peschke. Ivanovic and Mirza nearly collided at one point, but both came away laughing... Daniela Hantuchova crossed paths with Nick Bollettieri on her way onto Court 17 and got a loving pat on the cheek from the coaching gadfly. It was all business after that, as Hantuchova traded groundstrokes with Nathalie Dechy... Watch out, men's tour: just in case Rafael Nadal isn't dangerous enough already, he was working on his volleying on practice court P3... Later in the day on P3, Maria Sharapova could be seen stealing a couple glances at Serena Williams, who was just two courts away with mom Oracene. For her part, Sharapova appeared to be honing her aggressiveness, starting rallies at the baseline and then charging forward to finish at the net.

Justin Gimelstob vs. Oliver Marach
Men's Singles: First Round
Court 4

He may have nothing on Amy Frazier and Andre Agassi in the longevity department, but it's still worth noting that 2006 marks the 12th consecutive US Open appearance for Justin Gimelstob, the big kid from nearby Livingston, New Jersey. Looking fitter than ever and playing some of the best tennis of his life (when he's not doing TV work or updating his blog), Gimelstob reached the first ATP singles final of his career this summer by upsetting Andy Murray in Newport. His opponent on this occasion: late bloomer Oliver Marach, making his US Open debut at age 26.

The first break of the afternoon went to Gimelstob, who followed a daring chip-and-charge with a volley winner to go ahead 3-1. Back-to-back holds at love gave Gimelstob a 5-2 edge. The 6 foot 5 inch American may not float around the court like a gazelle, but all aspects of his game were in form to this point. Marach, meanwhile, was a mostly helpless counterpuncher, capable of punishing Gimelstob's mistakes but unable to really assert his own will on the match. The Austrian, sporting one of those sleeveless muscle shirts that seem to have mostly fallen out of favor, netted a backhand on set point to drop the opening frame 6-2.

The second featured a couple mildly contentious exchanges between Gimelstob and the chair umpire, but otherwise it was more of the same. Having great success with both his first and second serves, Gimelstob advanced to a 4-3 lead without facing a break point. Running in place after the changeover, the Jersey native looked willing and eager to get a break of his own. That's exactly what happened: Gimelstob ripped a big cross-court forehand pass at 30-40 to earn a 5-3 lead. Gimelstob took care of business from there, pumping his fist after a service winner put the second set in the books at 6-3.

The pro-Gimelstob crowd repeatedly implored Justin to close it out in the third set, but Marach gamely hung in there. Nary a break point was on offer as the set rapidly surged to 5-5. At 30-30 in Game 11, Gimelstob put a return at Marach's feet to earn break point. The following point featured a terrific cat-and-mouse exchange around the net, ending with a forehand volley winner by Gimelstob. Mostly untouchable on his serve all day long, Gimelstob was now just one hold away from a routine victory.

At 30-30 in Game 12, Marach had a good look at a pass, but his shot hit the tightly strung US Open net, popped high into the air, and landed a few inches past the baseline. Gimelstob, knowing he'd gotten lucky, broke into a big smile. Match point in hand, Gimelstob launched an unreturnable second serve and shot a triumphant fist into the air. Unlike the five set grindfests Gimelstob's known to sweat his way through at the Open, this impressive 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 victory took less than two hours. The post-match autograph session, on the other hand, dragged on so long that onlookers were starting to make incredulous comments about it. Justin signed for as long as I've ever seen a player sign after a match, even asking "anyone else?" at one point. The aspiring commentator was still posing for pictures and chatting with patrons when Jeff Morrison and Bjorn Phau began their warmup for the next match on Court 4.

(8) Marcos Baghdatis vs. Alexander Waske
Men's Singles: First Round
Grandstand

The heavily hyped second round meeting between Marcos Baghdatis and Andre Agassi wouldn't become a reality if Baghdatis couldn't get out of the opening round. 31-year-old journeyman Alexander Waske, best known for (if anything) his doubles exploits on the German Davis Cup team, did everything in his power to make that happen. Waske used his above average serve to force tiebreaks in the first two sets, but Baghdatis pulled them out (by scores of 7-1 and 9-7, respectively). Finally in real command, the flashy Cypriot was in full flower. In the opening game of the third set, he hit a spectacular forehand winner on the dead run and playfully stuck his tongue out while the crowd roared its approval.

Leading 2-1, 30-30, Baghdatis ran down a drop shot and sent back a winning pass to earn break point. Waske was then called for a foot fault on a second serve -- a particularly ignominious way to get broken. After Baghdatis held easily for a 4-1 lead, a healthy chunk of the crowd support began shifting to the underdog, who was still fighting hard and looking pumped up. Waske held to 2-4 and pressured Baghdatis in some great all-court rallies in Game 7. After two deuces, the Bag Man held and all but secured his spot in the second round. Showing off the oodles of ability that have carried him to his current career high ranking of 8th in the world, Baghdatis served out a 7-6, 7-6, 6-3 victory at love. A strong finish for the charismatic showman, who ended the day with an eye-popping ratio of 35 winners versus 8 unforced errors.

Alina Jidkova vs. Jessica Kirkland
Women's Singles: First Round
Court 6

Played almost literally in the shadow of Arthur Ashe Stadium during the Billie Jean King ceremony and the start of the Agassi-Pavel match, this bout didn't attract much of a crowd. Nevertheless, it featured an interesting matchup of players who hadn't gotten into the draw through the standard means. Jessica Kirkland received a wild card from the USTA, which remains high on the 18-year-old's potential even though she came in sporting an 0-3 record in Grand Slam events. Alina Jidkova, meanwhile, needed to use a protected ranking. The 29-year-old Russian, who's overcome everything from poverty to abuse en route to establishing herself as a solid Top 100 player, is just now recovering from a right knee injury that kept her off the tour for nearly a full year.

The rust in Jidkova's game showed early, as she struggled with the timing on her flat groundstrokes. Jidkova was broken to 3-2 in the first set, broke back for 3-3, and then immediately dropped serve again to 4-3. That error-strewn seventh game saw the Russian squeal, slap her thigh, and make annoyed faces at her coach. Kirkland, meanwhile, was showing off a steady-but-unspectacular game built around an old school slice backhand. The American held to 5-3 and opened up a 0-40 lead against Jidkova, who'd now resorted to talking to herself. The veteran fought well, saving four set points, but her shanked overhead on set point # 5 gave it to Kirkland, 6-3.

Jidkova struck back right away, breaking Kirkland to open the second set. The players' respective body language changed dramatically as the set wore on. Jidkova was now a fount of positive intensity, spurring herself with shouts of "come on!" Kirkland was now the one looking frustrated and chiding herself with simple instructions like "move!" Really cracking some laser-like groundies, Jidkova broke again for 5-2 and served out a 6-2 win of the second set. Most of the day's play was complete by now, but these evenly matched foes still had one set left to go.

Jidkova continued to roll, snaring a 2-0 lead in the third set and opening up a 0-40 advantage on Kirkland's serve. The teenager responded, persevering through three deuces to hold for 1-2, then reeling off two more games to pull ahead 3-2 in the deciding set. The match appeared to be slipping away from Jidkova, but she righted herself with a very impressive hold, knocking off a forehand volley for 3-3. An exchange of service breaks followed for 4-4.

Play had certainly been uneven to this point, but both players really picked it up in the final set's critical ninth game. At 30-30, a terrific side-to-side rally ended with Jidkova lacing a forehand winner and screaming "come on!" Facing break point, Kirkland used a great defensive lob to stay alive, then put away a volley to get to deuce. Two points later, Kirkland was facing break point again. This time she managed a remarkable THREE defensive lobs, keeping Jidkova at bay until the Russian finally powered home a smash. The break for 5-4 elicited yet another "come on" from a psyched Jidkova.

Really feeling it now, Jidkova pumped her fist after a backhand winner for 30-0 and again after a service winner took her to match point at 40-15. The next point saw Jidkova unleash a big, flat forehand. Kirkland made a lunging stab at it, but her reply landed in the net. Saving her best tennis for last, Jidkova finally completed a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory. Winless in five previous US Open appearances, Alina Jidkova was understandably ecstatic to reach the second round. Grinning from ear to ear, the 29-year-old chattered away in Russian with one of her supporters. Jidkova was so lost in the moment, a ballgirl had to remind her to retrieve her jacket, which she nearly left behind while excitedly making her way off the court.