Maria Sharapova returns a shot during the first round of the U.S. Open. Sharapova defeated Roberta Vinci, 6-0, 6-1, on Tuesday night in New York.

New York ? The lady in red shanked a backhand wide, prompting Maria Sharapova’s opponent to leap in the air and pump her fist and smile as though she’d won the match – or, indeed, the U.S. Open championship itself.

Uh, not quite. That little celebration by 51st-ranked Roberta Vinci of Italy was for winning one game Tuesday night, allowing her to narrow the dressed-for-success Sharapova’s lead to 6-0, 5-1.

“I win one game, I’m happy,” Vinci said. “6-love, 6-love? No. 6-love, 6-1? OK.”

A few minutes and one hold of serve later, Sharapova’s 50-minute day was done, and she was into the second round at the tournament where she produced her second Grand Slam title a year ago.

“There’s no way to get rid of the memories when I walk on the court and feel the vibe,” the second-seeded Russian said, 600 crystals on her red dress sparkling in the Arthur Ashe Stadium lights. “Every corner I turn here, I get goose bumps.”

Andy Roddick might very well have similar sentiments as he walks around the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. He did, after all, win the 2003 U.S. Open for his only major title, and he won his first-round match Tuesday night, following Sharapova on court and beating Justin Gimelstob, 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-3.

The 30-year-old Gimelstob is retiring, and Roddick hugged him at the net afterward. Gimelstob knelt down to kiss the blue court after his last U.S. Open match, then held court for a while, conducting a postmatch interview with Roddick for the fans.

“We’re going to miss one of the funniest guys on tour,” Roddick said.

They’re pals and engaged in a bit of levity in the second set, with Gimelstob arguing good-naturedly with the chair umpire about whether he should have a first serve or a second serve after fans interrupted play by applauding a group of military members in the stands.

After a lengthy delay, Gimelstob wound up double-faulting.

“You go on for an hour,” Roddick shouted, “then you do that?”

Sharapova, meanwhile, compiled 15 winners before Vinci hit her first and finished with a 30-3 edge in that category during the 6-0, 6-1 victory. It was part of a mini-parade of past champions in first-round action, including victories for Martina Hingis, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Lleyton Hewitt.