NEW YORK: Reigning French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova shook off a slow start and advanced to the second round of the US Open on Tuesday by defeating Germany's Julia Goerges 6-3, 6-2.

Russian sixth seed Kuznetsova, who won her first of two career Grand Slam singles titles at the 2004 US Open, next faces Latvia's 96th-ranked Anastasija Sevastova, who ousted Thailand's 90th-rated Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-3, 7-5.

Kuznetsova needed only 62 minutes to move on, winning 10 of the final 12 games and rescuing three break points in the second set to hold off 92nd-ranked Goerges.

After an early exchange of breaks, Goerges broke again in the fifth game, prompting an upset Kuznetsova to slam her racket to the court in frustration.

Kuznetsova responded by breaking the 20-year-old German in the next game on her way to taking the next four games and the first set after 31 minutes.

Goerges, with only one victory in eight Grand Slam appearances, sent a forehand wide to hand Kuznetsova a break to begin the second set. The Russian saved a break point in the next game, broke again in the third and rolled from there.

Kuznetsova, 24, and compatriot Maria Sharapova, 22, are the only prior Flushing Meadows champions in their half of the draw. Sharapova, the 2006 US Open winner, meets Bulgaria's 98th-ranked Tsvetana Pironkova in a night opener.

World number one Dinara Safina, still searching for her first Grand Slam title, opens later against Australia's Olivia Rogowska, a 167th-ranked wild card entrant.

Safina's best US Open showing was last year's semi-final run. She lost to Serena Williams at this year's Australian Open final and to Kuznetsova in the French Open final before a Wimbledon semi-final ouster by Venus Williams.

Safina, 23, will stay atop the rankings after the Open regardless of how she fares in the Flushing Meadows fortnight, even if second-rated reigning champion Serena Williams takes her third Slam crown of the year and 12th of her career.

China's Peng Shuai, a possible fourth-round foe for Safina, opened with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Slovakia's Jarmila Groth. Peng next faces Belgian Yanina Wickmayer, who ousted French 16th seed Virginie Razzano 6-4, 6-3.

Danish ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki defeated Kazakh Galina Voskoboeva 6-4, 6-0 and next faces Croatian qualifier Petra Martic, who eliminated France's Severine Bremond 6-4, 6-2.

Later women's openers send Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva, the 2004 US Open runner-up, against France's Camille Pin and Serbian fifth seed Jelena Jankovic, last year's US Open runner-up, against Italy's Roberta Vinci.