In the case of Roger Federer, every sign of struggle sets the radar on high alert because heâs Roger Federer and the current downward slope of his career is monitored as if the sport is watching its own electrocardiogram.  For one day, Federer brushed aside such larger questions. His first-round match on Tuesday against Grega Zemlja of Slovenia did not go perfectly smoothly, starting with the fact that it was supposed to be played Monday night but was rained out. There were plenty of unimpressive, un-Federer-like moments in his 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium. But worries of his imminent decline could be kept at bay for another round.  He even hit the practice courts after the match to sharpen his game. "There wasnât much rhythm out there, but I was happy the way I played," said Federer, who tied Wayne Ferreiraâs Open-era record for consecutive Grand Slam appearances with 56.  For No. 7 seed Petra Kvitova, the worrisome moments lasted longer. Her game and mettle went on the fritz for an entire set, but she settled down and finished off a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 victory over Misaka Doi of Japan. Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, who has not found similar love for or success at the Open, explained her struggles with the New York atmosphere by saying, âItâs too much crowdy for myself, I think.â  In Jerzy Janowiczâs case, what started as a case of frayed nerves quickly escalated into an emotional emergency. By the time Janowicz, the 14th seed had dropped the first set and called a medical timeout for a back massage in the second, he was yelling at himself, at the line calls and seemingly at the lines themselves. Even the massage could not stop the unraveling, and in a swift, 2-hour, 15-minute match complete with two racket tosses, Janowicz had been ousted by qualifier MÃ¡ximo GonzÃ¡lez of Argentina, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.  By the end of the afternoon session, the matches had offered up a little bit of everything.  Janowicz, 22, was coming off a Wimbledon run to the semifinals, in which he seemed to validate the high hopes his rise in the rankings had spawned. But the fire and spunk that made him such an attraction at Wimbledon was exactly what singed him. While he came undone, GonzÃ¡lez only got stronger.  GonzÃ¡lez, 30, is hardly an up-and-comer, having been on tour since 2002, with little success to show for it. But against Janowicz, he painted the lines with shots, while Janowicz sprayed errors everywhere. It was only the fifth match GonzÃ¡lez has won in a Grand Slam, and he hasnât even qualified for a main draw in one since 2011.  The most notable line on his rÃ©sumÃ© is that he comes from the same town in Argentina, Tandil, as the former Open champion Juan MartÃ­n del Potro.  It was the most notable upset of the day, mostly for how resounding it was. Also bowing out early was another young player with big prospects, Grigor Dimitrov, the No. 25 seed, who lost to Joao Sousa of Portugal, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.  Two of the top American hopes in the menâs draw survived with relative ease. No. 13 seed John Isner beat Filippo Volandri of Italy, 6-0, 6-2, 6-3, and No. 26 Sam Querrey topped Guido Pella of Argentina, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.  Kvitovaâs match looked like it would follow the pattern of easy first-round affairs. She appeared certain to be off the Arthur Ashe Stadium court before the fans could settle in and finish dabbing themselves with sunscreen.  But after a 35-minute first set, Kvitova began having all kinds of trouble with her previously overmatched opponent, Doi. As quickly as she had rolled through the first set, Kvitova stumbled to a 5-1 deficit in the second, nearly every aspect of her game escaping her.  But as quickly as it had disappeared, Kvitovaâs game reappeared for a 6-1 third-set victory that seemed like several different matches all in one.  âI didnât play my game the whole match,â Kvitova said. âSometimes it is not easy. The beginning rounds at the Grand Slams are not easy.â  Kvitova has not been able to reach the same level here that carried her to the Wimbledon title in 2011. She has never advanced further than the fourth round, the heat and the atmosphere of late summer in New York never seemed to agree with her.  Kvitova, of the Czech Republic, had trouble putting her experience at the Open into words, and only partly because she speaks halting English. âFor me itâs quite difficult to say,â she said. âI like the Wimbledon, which is very calm. I like big matches on the big stadium, too, but, I mean, the people. Itâs too much crowdy for myself, I think.â  All around Kvitova, seeded players were having a much easier time in their early matches. No. 6 Caroline Wozniacki pushed aside Ying-Ying Duan of China, 6-2, 7-5. The No. 10 menâs seed, Milos Raonic of Canada, got past Thomas Fabbiano of Italy, 6-3, 7-6 (6), 6-3, with only a bit of messiness in the second-set tiebreaker. Philipp Kohlschreiber, the No. 22 seed, dropped only five games in a 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 victory over the American Collin Altamirano, who had received a wild card after winning the national under-18 junior championships.  The womenâs No. 10 seed, Roberta Vinci of Italy, had an easy time of her 6-4, 6-2 victory over Timea Babos of Hungary, and No. 14 Maria Kirilenko of Russia rolled, 6-1, 6-1, over Yanina Wickmeyer of Belgium.  The former womenâs No. 1 Ana Ivanovic hasnât not been at that level for several years, but she looked plenty dominant in beating Anna Tatishvili of Georgia, 6-2, 6-0. Ivanovic, seeded 13th, has rarely sniffed the level she was at as the worldâs top player in 2008, but she still believes she can return there.  âItâs my only goal I have at the moment,â she said. âI really want to get back to the top of the game. I believe I have the qualities to do so. You know, once youâve been at the top, you donât feel satisfied being in the Top 15. You really want to aim and push yourself.â  And if you donât, people quickly start wondering whatâs going on.
Roger Federer and Petra Kvitova won their opening matches at the United States Open, while the qualifier MÃ¡ximo GonzÃ¡lez ousted 14th-seeded Jerzy Janowicz.