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Top seed Dinara Safina had to put a tough fight to win over Australian Olivia Rogowska. The Russian had to struggle hard to scratch out a perilous 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-4 first round win.
The Russian world number one, who has never won a Grand Slam but has lost three major finals, was down a break in the third set against the 167th-ranked wild card Olivia.
The error-plagued contest lasted for over two and a half hours.
Safina was in risk of becoming the only US Open women's number one to lose in the first round first since the Open era began in 1968.
The Russian finally gained control over the game in the closing stages, breaking for 4-3 and again two game later as Rogowska fired her 34th and 35th forehand errors.
Shaky Safina said, “The crowd helped me today. It was positive that I didn't break a racket or get a warning. When I was down 4-3 I just told myself to really look at the ball when I serve. I'm just glad to have won."
In the other games played, sixth seed Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, a former champion, defeated German Julia Goerges by 6-3, 6-2, and ninth-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki overcame Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakstan by 6-4, 6-0.
The 13th seed Nadia Petrova defeated veteran Katarina Srebotnik by 6-3, 6-3.
Men's seventh seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga reached the second round crushing out American Chase Buchanan by 6-0, 6-2, 6-1.
The Frenchman will next play against Nieminen .
Nieminen said,"It's nice to get the first win almost immediately. There’s no better place than a Grand Slam to do it."
The 10th seed Fernando Verdasco started with a victory over German Benjamin Becker by 7-5, 6-4, 7-5, while American Jesse Witten defeated Russian Igor Andreev by 6-4, 6-0, 6-2.
