By Ricky Dimon

Maria Sharapova vs. Simona Halep was the cream of the crop among first-round matchups when the U.S. Open draw was revealed last Friday. To say it did not disappoint when it played out on the court on Monday night would be an understatement.

In front of an enthralled crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium, with the 20th anniversary of the court celebrated beforehand, Sharapova and Halep battled for two hours and 44 minutes. It was Sharapova who finally came out on top of the high-quality affair, prevailing 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

“There was a little extra on the line,” the Russian assured. “These are the types of matches you play later in a Grand Slam. The level we played at was really great. We can be proud of that.”

Halep has nothing to hang her head about despite an early exit from the season’s final Grand Slam. The second-seeded Romanian trailed by a set and 4-1 in the second, and faced a break point that almost put her in a 5-1 hole. But she saved it and then stormed back to take five games in a row, stealing the second set and sending the showdown into a decisive third. This time, however, Halep could not dig herself out of an early deficit.

“I’m sad, of course, losing this match,” Halep admitted. “But I think I [gave] everything I had. She was better…. It was a tough one for first round, for sure. But still I think I played okay. She played really well. It was a good match. It was good for the fans.”

It was especially good for Sharapova, who had missed three of the last four U.S. Opens, including each of the last two.

“I realized how long it had been since I played at the U.S. Open,” Sharapova said of her emotional reaction to the victory. “Just the thought of being back here…. From the moment that I’ve been here, I’ve really understood what this means to me, to be back and to be playing.”

Venus Williams, meanwhile, is still playing–and playing well–at 37 years old. The recent Wimbledon runner-up got her U.S. Open campaign started on the right foot by holding off Viktoria Kuzmova 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. Williams finished with fewer winners than her 19-year-old opponent, but the American raised her level and had more winners and fewer unforced errors in the third set.

“I had no idea what she looked like, who she was, anything,” Williams said of Kuzmova. “But she played amazing. She played well, served well, competed well. Definitely a match I had to earn. I definitely wasn’t expecting or planning on dropping sets today. but things happen. That’s why we play the match, because you have to win the match. So it’s just all about regrouping. It’s the first round. You figure out what’s going on.”

What went on during Day 1 of U.S. Open action was memorable. It felt not like a first-round schedule, but rather something more suited for the second week. Then again, the atmosphere in New York is never a “first-round” atmosphere.

And it won’t be during the Day 2 night session, either. That’s when 19-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer takes the court. Get your popcorn ready!