0420: Well, that's your lot for day one. Day two is pretty much upon us and the live text will be back from 1600 BST, with Anne Keothavong up second and the likes of Maria Sharapova, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Caroline Wozniacki also in action. Sleep if you must, I plan to push on through.

0412: Roger Federer smacks down an ace after 93 minutes to seal a 6-1 6-4 6-2 win over Brian Dabul and a second-round clash with Andreas Beck.

0410: Federer gets another break and is about to serve for the match. New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry is in the stands looking contemplative. Probably mulling over a transfer window deadline day move to Upton Park. Or not.

From Nichollz via Twitter: "I've been in bed all day with man flu but have woken up to the genius at work! A great antidote."
My sympathies, brother, that's the worst kind of flu.

0401: Federer earns a couple of break points and after blasting a forehand wide on the first, he sees Dabul go long on the second. The five-time champion leads by two sets and 3-2 with a break.

0358: He might have been beaten tonight but Lleyton Hewitt is not planning on chucking in the towel just yet. "I still believe I can improve as a player," he said. "When I play my best tennis, like in Halle (in June, when he beat Roger Federer and won the title), I still feel like I can match it with anyone.

0353: Federer is not exactly a bag of nerves as he serves out for a two-set lead and this is about as comfortable as he could have hoped for, a gentle workout in the cool of the evening.

From majdie1 via Twitter: "Shh - genius at work ;)"

From anon via text: "Greatest player of all time. Simple."

0343: Just as everyone is in danger of nodding off, Federer jolts us back to life with a moment of genius. As he did in last year's semi-final, the Swiss chases down a lob and plays a cross-court winner through his legs. Rog then throws up his hands in disbelief at his own brilliance. I do that several times a day. Dabul does well to hold serve but Federer will now serve for a two-set lead....

0331: Roger's wife Mirka sits in the stands playing with her mobile, almost certainly checking on her husband's progress by reading this. Dabul does well to come through another testing service game but he still trails 6-1 4-2.

Brad Gilbert on Twitter: "Fed looking really sharp in the Navy blue Nike gear- he seems to have that confident look about him-the movement sets the tone for his game."

0318: Dabul sticks a forehand in the net on break point and Federer assumes total control, if he hadn't already, at a set and 2-1 with the break.

0306: Federer takes the first 6-1 in 27 minutes and it doesn't look like Dabul is going to join the long list of famous Brians this evening.

From Max via text: "Good morning Piers. Humm, Federer playing in the lovely cool evening air whilst Andy will no doubt have to play in the baking midday/afternoon sun as in Cincinnati."

From anon via text: "Time for Lleyton to retire, I remember watching him as an 11-12 year old myself and seeing him storm to the wimbledon title and to the top of the rankings but he's a shadow of that player now. Love you lleyt, thanks for the memories."

0257: Over to Ashe, and Federer gets a break to lead Dabul 3-1 after the Argentine has battled back from 0-40 to deuce. Rog is sporting a navy blue t-shirt and shorts with sparkling white socks and trainers. There's a touch of the Sea Scouts about it if you ask me. I wonder if he knows morse code...

0252: Shame, Lleyton Hewitt double-faults on match point and Paul-Henri Mathieu seals a dramatic 6-3 6-4 5-7 4-6 6-1 victory. Fair play to the Frenchman, I don't think too many people would have backed him after Hewitt levelled at two sets all.

Serena Williams on Twitter: "Great dancing Venus!!! Next time do your pretty boy swagg!!!! "

0243: Five-time champion Roger Federer is under way on Arthur Ashe Stadium against Brian Dabul of Argentina. Dabul is 26 years old, a former world junior number three and spends much of his time on the Challenger Tour where he's picked up three titles this year. This will be the first time he's played Federer, so who knows? I reckon I do, but then I said something similar before Federer's first match at Wimbledon against Falla and look how that turned out....

0240: Mathieu breaks again to lead 3-0 with the double-break, and surely he's done enough now. And Venus Williams admits she felt her dodgy knee at times during her win over Roberta Vinci. "It was doing pretty good until I landed on that leg," said Venus. "But I was playing a tough opponent today, she hits that slice so well so I was really happy to get through after not playing in forever."

From Paul, Sutton, via text: "Driving test in the morning at 9:34. Nothing is going to stop me waiting up for King Fed to do his thing, C'mon Roger!!" *
* You are very dedicated/foolish - delete as applicable

0228: It's building towards a classic climax on Armstrong as Hewitt levels at one set all only to drop serve at the start of the fifth. Mathieu has had some tough five-set losses in the past though, and it will be interesting to see how the Frenchman handles the next half an hour or so. Federer and Dabul due on Ashe any moment.

0218: Venus Williams beats Roberta Vinci 6-4 6-1 in 74 minutes and trots to the net, fist raised in triumph. It's her 200th win in Grand Slam matches, which is pretty impressive whichever way you look at it.

0213: In football, you never rule out the Germans; in tennis, you never rule out Lleyton Hewitt. The Australian recovers the break of serve and it's 4-4 in the fourth set.

0209: Venus plays a brilliant returning game to break serve and she now leads by a set and 3-1, and Italy's Flavia Pennetta has just beaten American Irina Falconi 6-2 6-1.

0204: Mathieu remains in control against Hewitt, just. Two more service holds and he's there. Venus is still being made to work hard by Vinci early in the second but goes 2-1 up on serve with a brilliant forehand pass on the stretch.

0157: The first person I saw on screen when I arrived tonight was American Taylor Dent, and I have to say it raised one very obvious question in my mind. Fortunately, someone in New York asked him exactly that after his match. "I've heard that my whole career," he said. "You know, 'Taylor is too heavy.' I have tried desperately to drop weight. I mean, it's just I'm a big guy. I mean, where am I going to lose more weight?"

0150: Venus settles the nerves of her supporters - and probably the tournament organisers - as she takes the first set 6-4 against Vinci.

Times correspondent Neil Harman on Twitter: "Mathieu led Hewitt by two sets and a break. Now two sets to one. Another Mathieu choke on the cards."

0146: Mathieu gets an early break in the fourth set and leads Hewitt by two sets to one and 2-1. It's the Aussie Fanatcis I feel sorry for. On second thoughts.... Venus is in a right old battle on Ashe now, blood-curdling screams apparently helping her as she edges 5-4 clear with an ace.

0141: The doubts around Venus don't seem so far-fetched as Vinci gets the break back to for 4-4. If you follow Venus on Twitter you'll know that she's not shy about promoting 'product', and tonight she's sporting a shiny black dress from her own range. So there you go.

0128: Hewitt fires a backhand at the feet of Mathieu who can only poke it into the net and the Aussie gets a set back, accompanied by the trademark clenched fist. Over on Ashe, Vinci has slowed the runaway early pace set by Venus but the American leads 4-2.

From jitters via Twitter: "My favourite Gonzo game was his 5-set win against Richard Gasquet at the Oz Open in 2010. Took over four hours!!"

0117: Controversial stuff on Armstrong as Mathieu appears to have the vital break to lead 5-4 in the third when Hewitt double-faults, but the Aussie goes to HawkEye and is happy to see the computerised ball land smack on the line. Just to rub it in, he then hammers an ace down the middle and goes on to hold. Mathieu looks, understandably, miffed. And Venus is 3-0 up in about half the time of the average Gloria Estefan ballad.

0113: Former world number one Ana Ivanovic beats Ekaterina Makarova 6-3 6-2, and Vania King sees off fellow American Christina Mchale 6-3 0-6 6-1.

0108: Finally, Venus Williams and Roberta Vinci are out on Arthur Ashe Stadium. In theory this should be a breeze for the two-time champion but there are a lot of people who fancy an upset. Vinci is 27 years old, ranked 65 in the world and has two WTA titles to her name, so while no superstar she knows how to win at the top level. However, the Italian has never beaten a top-five player and Venus has never lost in the first round at the US Open. So why the doubts? Well, it's her first match since defeat by Tsvetana Pironkova at Wimbledon, which was followed by a knee injury.

0058: Hewitt is keeping his head above water at 3-2 in the third set, while Ivanvoic is closing in on victory.

0052: Worrying news from everyone's favourite Chilean powerhouse, Fernando Gonzalez, who retired from his opening match with a nagging knee injury. "I'm not thinking about retirement quite yet but I've had a really bad six months and, if this was to go on for longer, maybe two years, then I would have to see." He's played some of the most ridiculously entertaining tennis of the last few years and would be missed. Favourite Gonzo match? Demolishing Tommy Haas in the 2007 Aussie Open semis.

From Amrit in Uxbridge via text: "Exam in the morning and Federer at 2am. Grrrrrrrrr!"
Likely to be nearer 3am, I'm afraid. Blame Gloria.

0040: My judgement remains consistent if nothing else - Mathieu moves two sets up on Hewitt as the Frenchman climbs all over the Hewitt serve. And if you're wondering what's happened to the night session, it's on its way after the opening ceremony. Apparently, Gloria Estefan is currently doing her stuff. If you're a young person, she was like Lady Gaga in the 1980s. A bit.

From Glen, littlehampton, via text: "Ana could really do with a good run here. Hope the ankle holds out! I predict that venus will shock everyone and win the tournament."

0028: Ivanovic takes the first set 6-3 against Makarova, while Hewitt just looks like he's starting to turn it around against Mathieu, although it's on serve at 4-4 in the second.

0025: The sheer volume of Brian-related communications leaves me feeling obliged to update you on my colleague's earlier theme: Brian Hooper, Brian Moore, Brian from the Magic Roundabout, Brian Cox the scientist from D:Ream, Brian Ferry... it's endless. You are all very silly.

0019: A classic Hewitt lob makes it four breaks in a row and 3-3 in the second set. And not content with demolishing her first-round opponent this afternoon, Elena Baltacha has had time to pen her second BBC column. What a woman. Although looking at the photo from the restaurant is not helping my growing hunger.

0016: It's all happening on Louis Armstrong as Mathieu comes off best after three breaks in a row to lead by a set and 3-2 with a break. Meanwhile, Ana Ivanovic will hope to keep her extremely fragile return to form going against Ekaterina Makarova on Grandstand - the Serb leads 5-2 right now.

From Dave (aka brian), wiltshire, via text: "I'm brian and so's my wife."
Do you ever get the feeling you've walked in halfway through someone else's conversation? Inundated with texts and tweets about famous Brians.

0001: We've got eight matches still under way on day one, with the night session about to start. The late nights are what it's all about at Flushing Meadows and Venus Williams kicks off the action against Roberta Vinci before Roger Federer takes on Brian Dabul. Keep me company with a Tweet or a text on 81111 (UK) or +44 7786200666 (worldwide) with TENNIS before your message.

2356: Paul-Henri Mathieu is in the long and proud tradition of French players who can be utterly brilliant or completely exasperating. He has good days and bad days, and so far this is looking like a good day. P-HM thumps away a magnificent smash on his way to wrapping up the opening set against Lleyton Hewitt.

2353: Evening.

2351: Hit your REFRESH BUTTON and Piers will appear like your fairy godmother.

2346: American Taylor Dent (USA) beats Alejandro Falla 6-4 7-5 6-1 so it's Ivanovic up next. Venus and Federer are the star draws in about 20 minutes. And to take you through to the early hours is the one and only Piers Newbery. Links to his Twitter account are in the usual spots and he's always there for your texts as 606 says good night. It's been a cracking opening day. More fireworks tomorrow. Night. Piers - it's all yours.....

2342: My shift is drawing to a close and colleague Piers Newbery is prowling like a panther who hasn't eaten for days. He's hungry for live clockwatch duty - that's my point. Thanks for all your comments (and Brians). More of the same tomorrow. A quick update before I shootle - Hewitt trails 5-2 in the opener. No shocks so far as Victoria Azarenka survives a mini fightback from Monica Niculescu to win 6-0 5-7 6-1.

2334: During a minor lull in activity, the Brian list so far: Rix, McClair, Clough, Griffin (Family Guy) Robson, O'Driscoll, Blessed (he's had two shouts). See entry 2202 on the back of Federer playing Argentine Brian Dabul. Have we missed any worldly famous Brians?

2329: The second Aussie (after Stosur's win) has arrived in a pretty cool light blue shirt with dark blue shoulder stripes. Nice work from Lleyton Hewitt and he's trailing 2-1 against France's Paul Henri-Mathieu with the match going with serve so far.

2324: We're all looking for a shock aren't we? Are we? Romanian Monica Niculescu might have one up her sleeve. She lost the first set to 10th seed Victoria Azarenka 0-6 but took the next 7-5. Azarenka leads 3-1 up in the third though. So much for that shock.

majdie1 on Twitter: "as a matter of fact, the fed will be wearing an all-navy kit, sporting the 'RF' logo. it's a very classy and not so dodgy kit"
All-NAVY kit. My mind is doing some funny things and I'm struggling to look beyond the word dodgy right now. I'm open to be convinced otherwise though. I'm sensing this is a man tweeting who's got a few horror shows in his wardrobe. Tell me I'm wrong like snakeskin belts or those low pointy shoes.

2315: A few words from Soderling. He had four match points in the third set before storming back in a decider against the 214th-ranked Haider-Maurer. He said: "It was a tough match in tough conditions. I wanted to finish it in three when I had the match points. But it's better to win it in five than lose it in five."

BBC 5 live's Jonathan Overend tweeting from Flushing Meadows: "Davydenko presser. Q: Are you pleased with the way you played? A: I am? Q: Are you pleased? A: Pleased? New word for me."

DiscoStew1 on Twitter: "So...will the Federer be playing in a suit today (a la the Gillette advert?) if he hits 60 aces on the T I'll believe the ad!"
Who knows what the great RF will be wearing tonight. His initials will no doubt be emblazoned across a dodgy white outfit. Will that dodgy suit be picking up the US Open trophy in 13 days?

2305: If anybody can come up with a better name then please do so, but for now it's Mammoth Monday because of all the five-setters. The latest match to go the distance? Spain's 21st seed Albert Montanes was trailing by two sets against Poland's Michal Przysiezny but he's bounced back and has already broken at the start of the fifth set. Game on.

2301: As the clock strikes 11 - or 6 if you're in New York, we have a little outburst from Falla who's not happy about losing a point to Dent. The racquet flies into the hard court. No damage done though. Dent rubs salt into the weeping wound with an ace at 145mph. Big boom. Dent leads 6-4 6-5. Ivanovic on court after this one.

2256: It's Aussie time. Sammy Stosur comes from a set down to beat Vesnina 3-6 7-6 6-1. She strolls off the Louis Armstrong Stadium and it'll be time for Hewitt (32nd seed) to play Paul Henri-Mathieu. No pictures from that court so far but I'm sure the gold and the green and the "Go Aussie" flags are in abundance.

scotzchick on Twitter: "that other American, Jack Sock... he plays Marco Chiudinelli =) way better name!!"
Should be a TV detective shouldn't he? And when he goes to court to bang those villains to rights, it'll be Sock in the dock.

2250: The Melzer tale is over and it's a happy ending for the Austrian. He beats Dmitry Tursunov 6-4 6-2 3-6 4-6 6-2. What a belter.

2245: A sensational list of Brians building so far. More in a minute. Let me remind you that from about midnight, when I've turned into a stinky pumpkin and handed the Flushing Meadows baton over to Piers Newbery, you will have the following games keeping you entertained: Italian Roberta Vinci v third seed Venus Williams. After that will be Argentine Brian Dabul v Roger Federer. Ana Ivanovic v Ekaterina Makarova will probably be in about 90 minutes with Taylor Dent still battling it out with Alejandro Falla (Currently 6-4 3-4).

2237: Aussie Lleyton Hewitt can go back to the chill zone. His compatriot Sam Stosur has nabbed the second set to take it to a decider against Elena Vesnina. Any Aussies out there cheering on your boys and girls, hoping for a rare glimpse of sporting success before your cricketers get a hiding in a few months?

Anonymous in London, via text 81111: "Nothing like going to Notty Hill Carnival with your pals followed by tennis to celebrate splitting up with your (now ex) missus! Brian Clough, Bri an Lara, Brian O'Driscoll...or our personal favourite Brian Griffin from family guy, they gotta be in with a shout! " (See entry 2202)

McBoroEddie on 606: "whatasneeze- it actually means clumsy."
Crikey, we've opened up a bag of wiggly worms here. What does Berankis mean? He's playing Ryan Sweeting and everybody has got a different Lithuanian definition for him. Armless. Handless. Now Clumsy. Somebody put me out of my misery.

2227: Here's the story. Melzer, 13th seed, is playing Tursunov and takes the first two sets. Easy pickings. Hold on. The next chapters involve the Russian taking the next two sets. Bad times. Five-set times. Tense times. 176 minutes gone so far and the turning twisty tale has taken another wiggle. Melzer now leads 3-0 in the decider. Day one at Flushing Meadows is Mammoth Monday. Nothing to do with prehistoric hairy elephant lookalikes, but loads of five-setters. Crowd getting their dollars worth.

2222: How could I forget Ms Ivanovic? The former sizzling Serb is up against Ekaterina Makarova following the match between Taylor Dent and Alejandro Falla. Dent is up 6-4 1-1. A quick update on Melzer. He was the one smiling an hour ago dreaming of a quick shower before a night out in the Big Apple.....

2218:Fifth seed Sammy Stosur is being made to sweat it out after losing the opening set to Elena Vesnina. It's down to a tie-break in the second set. Perhaps this is the day one shock we've all been waiting for?

whatasneeze on Twitter: "On tennis names: Sweeting's opponent is Berankis, which means armless in Lithuanian. Fairly poetic for a tennis player :)"
I will take your word for that - my Lithuanian skills aint what it used to be.

2202: Some of you have been asking what matches are coming up. Have you not got a bloomin' computer? Have you not got a butler doing these things for you? It's a good job my charity levels are running at an all-time high. Midnight (UK time) you've got Venus Williams vs Roberta Vinci. Followed by the fizzing Fed. Roger Federer vs Brian Dabul. (Again - another fine low-key sporting name BRIAN.) Who is your world's favourite Brian? The list starts now. And hey - before all of that, may I offer you a large dollop of Lleyton Hewitt who follows fellow-Aussie Sam Stosur in the Louis Armstrong Stadium.

duckybilletdoux on Twitter: "I am celebrating asking out my crush today; gave him a flower and a note. in tennis terms, Me - 1, him - love! :D"
Please let me know how you get on. Let's hope he serves you up with the right answer.

2154: For all those that have been hibernating today or been stuck in traffic (in fact, for all those STILL stuck in traffic let me know and I'll try to ease the motor rage), then here's a quick overview of the day so far. Men up first. An easy win for Roddick. A five-set win for Soderling. Monfils is another one to come through five sets. Davydenko cruises through. Cilic also wins, while possibly the most destructive show award of the day goes to Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero, who lost four games against Martin Klizan of Slovakia.

2148: My favourite tennis name right now and of course it's an American. Never has a land produced so many jaw-dropping names. Just a surname this one and it's Sweeting - Ryan Sweeting. He's also a wildcard and he's one-set all with qualifier Ricardas Berankis from Lithuania. Any other shouts for weird, beautiful, unusual, funny sporting names? Nothing too dodgy please. This is a tennis clockwatch - we have standards.

2144: Remember. I am your flexible friend. I accept all communications. Tweet me @bbcsport_mark, text me on 81111 (UK) or +44 7786200666 (worldwide) with TENNIS before your message, or join the banter on 606.

2138: Happy birthday Andy Roddick. What better way to celebrate your 28 years on this planet than to steam past France's Stephane Robert 6-3 6-2 6-2 in your first-round US Open match. Anybody else celebrating anything today? Weddings, birthdays, exams, driving test, new girl friend, dumping your boyfriend? I'd love to know. Tell me and I'll tell the world. All for free as well. The world's greatest gift no?

2136: Remember that grinning Austrian Mr Melzer I was talking about a while back? Two sets up and cruising. The Melzer ship has hit a big wave and is wobbling. Tursunov has nabbed the third set. Interesting.

2134: Francesca Schiavone. What a bag of loveliness. What a battler. And what a refreshing sport star to listen to. The French Open champion (who won her first round match today) says: "If you watch Rafa Nadal, I think you can enjoy things, say 'I'm here, I want to scream.' If you watch Roger Federer, you can feel different. It depends who you are and what you do on court. I hope the people can understand who I am and what I do." And on why she's a favourite for the fans: "I attract them because I'm beautiful." Love it. What tennis players make you scream?

TopClassCitizen on 606: "Just realised Fernando Gonzalez is out. He is the only men's or women's seed to go out so far. It's been a bit shock-free, seeing as Monfils and Soderling won."

2126: Bit of sad news for all Chilean tennis lovers. Or all lovers of Fernando Gonzalez. A knee injury has flared up and after taking the first set tie-break against Croatian Ivan Dodig, the 27th seed is forced to retire after losing the second set and trailing 1-0 in the third. I'll try to dig out some more details on that one. Unless you guys know anything more? Tell me.

Andy Murray on Twitter: "Just picked up the US Open Series trophy."
A sweet little picture of Muzz but his photographer should be sacked. It's about as clear as a November morning in Blackpool. Something else for the trophy room Andy.

2119: ROBIN SODERLING BEATS Andreas Haider-Maurer 7-5 6-3 6-7 5-7 6-4. A storming match lasting 231 minutes. The Austrian fired down 34 aces to the Swede's 8. Way more unforced errors by Soderling (74-65), 12 double faults, less winners. But he still wins 182 points in total to the Austrian's 177. Baffling stats. Good battle though.

2114: The world is crumbling down on Haider-Maurer. Before he loses (maybe), time to pass on some chat from colleague David Ornstein - who has surpassed his talents by not making tea but coming up with some facts about the Austrian. Ranked 214 in the world. "There is no biographical information about him on the ATP World Tour website and apparently he was a former top 10 junior. His last tournament was a Futures event on clay in Italy so just how he's managed to pull out a performance like this against fifth seed Soderling is anyone's guess." Thanks Dave.

2112:Monfils beats Kendrick 3-6 6-3 6-4 6-7 6-4 in a match that lasted 198 minutes. Go and have a lie down Monsieur.

2109: A quick round-up. My copter's run out of fuel so I'm opting for other sources. Ummm like the internet. Kendrick is serving to stay in the match against Monfils. The Frenchman is smiling again. Roddick is flying through the third set (6-3 6-2 4-0). And it looks like the cloud hovering over Soderling has lifted....He'll be serving for the match in a sec....

piersnewbery on Twitter: "Tuesday order of play is out, @annekeothavong up second but @andy_murray must wait until Wednesday. Off to work..."
Here speaketh the man who should have been preparing for his US Open nighttime shift in bed - instead he's been following the tennis scores. The behaviour of a buffoon or a true professional?

2100: MUZZ FLASH. Andy Murray will have to keep playing keepy-up for another day. His match against Lukas Lacko is on Wednesday. More details to follow. Don't ever say we don't provide a service. (Was that a lame tennis gag?)

2058: It certainly is. The Austrian Jurgen Melzer (13 in the world) is two sets up against Russian Dmitry Tursunov. Andy Roddick is grinning like a cheshire cat as well. Hold On.......I've got some ANDY MURRAY NEWS...

2054: I've banked my flying machine round to Court 11 and this time my eyes are picking up on a grumpy Frenchman. Any guesses? Eric Cantona looking for some acting work? It's Gael Monfils who has been taken to five sets by local boy and qualifier Robert Kendrick. It's gone over three hours that one. Is that a happier seed I see down there on Court 6?

2050: I've got my binoculars out and I see a grumpy Swede down on Grandstand. Robin Soderling (remember he's fifth seed) was two sets up and cruising against Andreas Haider-Maurer but it's gone to a decider. A cracking effort from the Austrian (although sadly I have to report he's sporting an arty bit of hair tuft on his chin). Why oh why oh why? His racquet's doing the business though. He's 2-1 up in the fifth. Massive shock on day one?

2047: Fancy a ride in my Flushing Meadows chopper to catch up with the action elsewhere? Now let me see...........

2044: Having 31 unforced errors against your name is no way to carry on for a former world number one is it? If only Dinara Safina could jump into a time machine and go back a few months. I'm not sure how good a tennis player Dr Who is but Dinara must be gagging to leap into his Tardis right now. Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia's 24th seed) dumps the Russian out at the first hurdle 6-3 6-4.

2036: So with the later session on its way with the Feds and Venus in action, why not jump on board my Flushing Meadows train and enjoy the ride before Piers Newbery takes it on into the wee hours. In the mean time, tweet me @bbcsport_mark, text me on 81111 (UK) or +44 7786200666 (worldwide) with TENNIS before your message, or join the banter on 606.

2028: A lively opening day don't you think? What better way to spend your bank holiday (for those in the UK anyway) than having a little dabble with the action in the Big Apple. I believe you north Americans have got your own holiday (sorry vacation) coming up so you just calm down over there. Highlight of the day so far at Flushing Meadows? Clijsters or Beautiful Bally perhaps? And any pre-match thoughts on the mighty Muzz tomorrow? I'd love to hear from you.

2025: Great effort David. Go get that kettle on sir - your day's responsibilities are far from over. In the mean time, everybody PLEASE REFRESH to rid this page of the words Ornstein and David - just so you know who you're dealing with. Thanks.

2020: Former champion Roddick keeps calm and wallops his way through game nine to wrap up the first set and the Arthur Ashe crowd are happy. So as the players take a brief rest at changeover, I'm going to do the same. Here comes Mr Ashenden...

2015: Back out on Arthur Ashe, Roddick was giving little-known Frenchman Stephane Robert a tonking. The ninth seed raced into a 5-0 lead and was all over his 30-year-old opponent. But Robert holds serve, lets rip with his double-handed backhand to break A-Rod and then holds again for 3-5.

InfostradaLive on Twitter: "Clijsters and Dementieva have won their 31th & 38th match @usopen today. Only Venus (55) & Serena (52) won more of active players."

2000: We now know the second round opponent for Britain's Elena Baltacha. The Scot's reward for her victory over Petra Martic is a meeting with Wimbledon semi-finalist Petra Kvitova, who saw off fellow Czech Lucie Hradecka in straight sets. Bally and Kvitova have met once previously - on the hard courts of Torhout in 2008 - and the British number one was a three-set winner. They were scheduled to meet in Athens a year later but Baltacha withdrew before a ball was hit, handing Kvitova the walkover.

1958: A year ago Dinara Safina arrived at Flushing Meadows as the tournament's top seed. But injuries and and poor form have seen her slide down the rankings and today she finds herself staring at a first-round exit after losing the opening set of her match against Daniela Hantuchova on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Elsewhere, men's fifth seed Robin Soderling has just dropped the third set against Andreas Haider-Maurer but still leads 2-1, and Gael Monfils is also into a fourth against Robby Kendrick.

1947: Following Clijsters on Arthur Ashe Stadium is men's ninth seed Andy Roddick and the 2003 champion makes a blistering start against Stephane Robert, breaking the Frenchman's serve for a 2-0 leading in the opening set.

1940: Nice post-match interview with Clijsters in which she finishes by explaining that her necklace includes a tiny pendant containing her late father's ashes, the letter 'J' for daughter Jada and the letter 'B' for husband Brian Lynch. "It means they're with me at all times," says a smiling defending champion. Nice touch.

BBC 5 live's Jonathan Overend tweeting from Flushing Meadows: "Elena Baltacha has remodelled her serve, shortening the backswing to aid injury-prevention. Seems to be working, no BPs faced today."

1929: For those of you just joining us, I assume you'll be pleased to learn that Elena Baltacha enjoyed a fine victory over her Wimbledon conqueror Petra Martic. And the British number one has been busy speaking to the media. "I really wanted revenge and it feels really good now," said the world number 57. "There were a couple of demons there and after today I think I've flicked the demons off my shoulder."

1925: According to the WTA, Clijsters has now won her last 25 first round matches at Grand Slams - her last first round defeat coming at the 2000 French Open.

1915: And there we have it. Kim Clijsters begins her US Open title defence with a 6-0 7-5 victory over Greta Arn. After coming back from two breaks down in the second set, the Belgian races to 0-40 in game 12. Arn saves the first two match points before Clijsters gives her the run-around and then seals her place in round two with a backhand winner down the line.

1910: Arn's second set dominance is well and truly over as Clijsters claws back the second break and holds serve for a 6-5 lead. The defending champion seemed to suffer from a little lapse in concentration earlier, but she's moving and striking the ball a dream right now and this will probably be over and done with pretty soon.

1905: Apologies for suggesting Nishikori knocked Roddick out of Wimbledon - it was Yen-Hsun Lu who beat the American and, inexcusably, I was watching much of that match from courtside! Error corrected.

1903: "Good point re the temperature (see Jankovic tweet) and one can count Murray in that as well. Let's hope the organisers are a little more sympathetic to the players than was the case at Cincinnati, where they were suffering in temperatures of 34c."
Max via text on 81111

1900: Number two seed Kim Clijsters gets one of the breaks back against Arn but the unseeded Hungarian has just held serve to move to within a game of the second set.

Jamie Murray on Twitter: "Thanks a lot to everyone for the congratulations! :) Very exciting"
In case you hadn't heard, J Murray has got engaged and is due to tie the knot in October.

1850: Now then. After bageling Greta Arn to take the first set in just 18 minutes, defending champ Kim Clijsters is a TWO breaks down in the second and looks far from comfortable. The Belgian arrived at Flushing Meadows with a thigh problem and it could be troubling her out there on Arthur Ashe. Her unforced error count is on the rise and it looks like she's got a real battle on her hands.

Jelena Jankovic on Twitter: "Had a good hit this morning, just finished lunch and will have another practice this afternoon. HOT here in NY today!"
What with Jankovic's track record, I'm very keen to see how the Serb - and several others, to be fair - cope with the stifling New York heat this fortnight

1835: Sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko beats Michael Russell 6-4 6-1 6-3 to set up a second round meeting with Richard Gasquet. Tasty. Plenty of talk that Davydenko could be a dark horse this year. Get involved through twitter, by text to 81111 (UK) or +44 7786200666, or via 606.

1825: Time to nip around the courts. Marin Cilic, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Richard Gasquet, Thiemo de Bakker and qualifier Kei Nishikori have all made it through to round two. Kim Clijsters has marked the start of her title defence by going up an early break against Greta Arn and Nikolay Davydenko is closing in on victory over Michael Russell. Robin Soderling came back from a break down to take the opening set off Andreas Haider-Maurer and the fifth seed is a break up in the second. And 17th seed Gael Monfils has lost the first set of his match against unseeded American Robby Kendrick.

1817: Sensational work by... BBC Sport's Mark Ashenden in getting the day one photo gallery up and running. It'll be updated throughout the afternoon and evening sessions with the best pics from Flushing Meadows. So why not take a look...

1807: "Showing my age here but just noticed you surname and wondered if you were/are related to Nancy (Ornstein), an American tennis player who was on the women's tour?"
Anon via text on 81111
Not to my knowledge, and especially not if my tennis pedigree is anything to go by!

1800: Serene progress for a fit-again Elena Dementieva as she beats Olga Govortsova 6-1 6-2 to maintain her record of never having lost in round one of the US Open. The 12th seed is making her 12th appearance at Flushing Meadows.

GBtennis on Twitter: "Elena beat Kvitova in 2008 and Hradecka in 2010 on the way to one of the biggest ITF titles of her career, so good memories!"

1752: Did you know... that Elena Baltacha is just second British woman since 1998 to reach round two of the US Open (Anne Keothavong reached round three in 2008). Possible next opponent Petra Kvitova has lost all five matches since reaching this year's Wimbledon semi-finals, while Lucie Hradecka has a 1-5 win-loss record in Grand Slams. Great chat, but don't thank me - it came from the WTA Tour's Neil Robinson.

Coach and commentator Brad Gilbert on Twitter: "Great start this morning for Mel Oudin who had been struggling big time, nothing like a beat down to get the convy going."
Could someone translate that last bit for me?

1742: A solid start for the young American Melanie Oudin as she beats Olga Savchuk in the opening match on Arthur Ashe. Her win means we await the arrival of defending championKim Clijsters. The Belgian takes on Hungary's Greta Arn at 1800 BST.

1735: "It's a rare pleasure seeing a British girl win a match at a Grand Slam. It's even longer since a British girl won two or got into the second week. Hopefully Elena Baltacha can keep interest up at least to the third round after a win that must do wonders for her confidence."
Stargazer on 606
And don't forget you can hear from Baltacha herself through the column she's writing for the BBC Sport website.

1730: Super win for Baltacha against the opponent who knocked her out of Wimbledon. Next up for the Scot is either Petra Kvitova or Lucie Hradecka, both of the Czech Republic.

1724: British number one Elena Baltacha beats Petra Martic 6-2 6-2 to reach round two of the US Open.

1722: Of course, if any of you are lucky enough to be in NYC at the mo you could probably give me a more accurate picture of the weather. And much more, I'm sure. Any of you heading to Flushing Meadows? Stories, predictions and general ramblings all welcome in one of three ways: you can tweet me, send a text to 81111 (UK) or +44 7786200666, or dip into 606.

1720: Weather-wise, it's very pleasant over at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Plenty of rain in the Queens air last week, but not a cloud in the sky today. Those in the know forecast rising temperatures for the coming days but talk of a thunder storm at the start of next week. Fingers crossed it'll hold off.

Caroline Wozniacki on Twitter: "Someone knocks on my door at 7.45. Housekeeping! I guess they think people can't sleep. Thankfully I was going to wake up at 8 anyway."
Not an ideal start for the top seed and 2009 runner-up.

1700: Apologies for the temporary loss of auto-refresh. We're back up and running now and how better to celebrate than with a break of serve for Elena Baltacha? The Scot leads by a set and is serving for a 3-1 lead in the second. Elsewhere, Davydenko goes a set up against Russell on Louis Armstrong and Schiavone is about to beat Morita on Grandstand.

BBC 5 live's Jonathan Overend tweeting from Flushing Meadows: "Very positive start from Baltacha here on Ct 17. Some lovely winners & great retrieving in 6-2 1st set. Updates every 1/2 hour on 5live."

1652: Good news, Brits. Elena Baltacha takes the first set of her opening-round match against Petra Martic. A first serve percentage of 62%, no double faults, no unforced errors, two out of three break points converted and 27 winners. Nice.

1648: How about some scores on the doors? Davydenko went down a break to Russell early on, but the Russian has just hit back to level the opening set. French Open champion Fran Schiavone waltzed through the opening set against Japan's Ayumi Morita and is already a break up in the second. Former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero and Richard Gasquet have taken their opening sets but Marin Cilic is a break down to Illya Marchanko in his.

1640: Fairly stellar cast list for you to feast your eyes on today. Men's sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko is on court now against Michael Russell, while Andy Roddick, Robin Soderling, Marin Cilic and world number two Roger Federer also play later on Monday. On the women's side, defending champ Kim Clijsters is second on Arthur Ashe Stadium, and Venus Williams, Sam Stosur, Elena Dementieva and Marion Bartoli begin their campaigns too.

ATP World Tour on Twitter: "Rafa Nadal, under watchful eye of Uncle Toni, practising now on P5 with Gilles Simon."

1630: Right then. Britain's Elena Baltachaa has gotten off to a flyer out on Court 17, breaking in game three before holding serve for a 3-1 lead in the opening set. Unfortunately, she's not playing on a televised court so no pics, but I'll keep you bang up to date with her progress.

1628: Those of you hoping to see Murray in action today will be disappointed. And possibly tomorrow as well. The British number one may have to wait until Wednesday to get his campaign under way against Slovakia's Lukas Lacko. Sorry!

Andy Murray on Twitter: "Not much happening today. Hitting at 4pm then back to the hotel..."

1622: Hopefully we'll be hearing a fair bit from Baltacha during the next two weeks, what with the exclusive column she'll be writing for this very website. Oh, and the same goes for world number four Andy Murray. Spoilt for choice, aren't we?

1615: So, as Mr Overend points out, British number one Elena Baltacha is first up on Court 17 against Petra Martic. The Croatian snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Bally at Wimbledon this summer - a seriously bitter pill to swallow for the Brit. I can smell a whiff of revenge in the air.

BBC 5 live's Jonathan Overend tweeting from Flushing Meadows: "Suncream, hat, shades, water, microphone. It's time to head to Court 17. Good luck @elenabaltacha on Day1 of the #usopen!"

1608: As always, these text commentaries are more about you than us. So get involved in the chat! How? Well, you can tweet me, send a text to 81111 (UK) or +44 7786200666, or use good ol' 606.

1605: Hey, how you doin'? Welcome to our live coverage of the 129th US Open, the season's fourth and final Grand Slam tournament. It promises to be a stupendously exciting fortnight, with plots, subplots, agony and ecstasy aplenty. So for all the latest news, scores, reports and reaction coming out of Flushing Meadows, why not make this page your home for the two weeks? Go on, you know you want to...

1600: Nadal to complete the career Grand Slam? Federer to reclaim the trophy he won five years on the trot until 2009? Murray to lift his first major title? Clijsters to retain her crown? Wozniacki to live up to her billing as top seed? A star or two to be born in Serena's absence? All questions to which we shall get answers over the next 14 days.