Tennis-Open-Stosur cruises in opener before rain suspends play

NEW YORK Aug 27 (Reuters) - Defending champion Samantha Stosur blitzed Petra Martic in the opening session of the U.S. Open on Monday before rain halted play and created an early headache for schedule makers at the year's final grand slam.

Stosur needed only 51 minutes to reach the second round with a 6-1 6-1 rout over the 64th-ranked Croat on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

"It was fantastic," said Stosur, the Australian seventh seed. "It was great to get out there again. I felt like I was ready to go. First match up, first day, was a good start, so I certainly won't complain about being out there."

Shortly after the 28-year-old Stosur left the court fans scrambled for cover as a heavy rain pelted the National Tennis Center grounds at Flushing Meadows.

Five-times champion Roger Federer, triple winner Kim Clijsters and 2006 winner Maria Sharapova were all scheduled to play on Monday, although a forecast for scattered showers in New York could put the breaks on that scenario.

Play resumed after a roughly two-hour delay but the day-one agenda was already backed-up. Scotsman Andy Murray, the Olympic champion, was playing Alex Bogomolov Jr. of Russia in Ashe Stadium following the rain delay.

Stosur lost in the first round of the Australian Open and the London Olympics and was beaten in round two at Wimbledon but he rout of Martic signalled she was ready for Flushing Meadows.

She won the first 19 points of the match before giving Martic a gift and ending thoughts of a so-called golden set.

"I hadn't missed a point and the match had been going pretty quick and obviously in my favor," said Stosur. "(The idea of a golden set) did pop into my head for a split second but then I hit the double fault and it was erased and I was quickly on with the next point."

Stosur blasted 10 aces in the victory.

"I'm happy with the way I played. I thought I served really well. There isn't really anything that I'd say I have to go out on the practice court and work on.

"Tomorrow I will go out there and practice, and I will be trying to fine tune a few things. But the first round is down, and it was a good start."

In other matches completed, China's Li Na began her title bid with a 6-2 6-3 victory over Britain's Heather Watson, while Italy's Marion Bartoli downed American Jamie Hampton 6-3 7-6.

Czech Lucie Hradecka defeated Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3 6-3, Casey Dellacqua of Australia beat Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine, 6-2 6-3, and Anna Tatishvili of Georgia bounced France's Stephanie Foretz Gacon 6-2 6-0.

The U.S. Open will run through Sept. 9. (Editing by Frank Pingue)