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No. 2 seed Maria Sharapova screams after a point in the first game against Eleni Daniilidou during the first round of the U.S. Open on Monday. Sharapova breezed to a 6-1, 6-1 victory in 66 minutes.

NEW YORK - Top seed Maria Sharapova produced a stellar performance to begin her U.S. Open campaign with a 6-1, 6-1 demolition of Eleni Daniilidou on Monday.

The world No. 2 saved six break points in her first two service games before stepping up a gear to ease to victory in 66 minutes, finishing off the match with a backhand topspin lob.

“I felt really good. It feels good to get back into action,” the former Wimbledon champion said.

“I think there’s always room for improvement and hopefully I’ll keep improving.”

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Daniilidou, who beat French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne  in the first round at Wimbledon, paid the penalty for failing to take her break-point opportunities as Sharapova grew in confidence.

The Greek contributed to her own downfall with seven double faults and her opponent took advantage to set up a second round clash with Dally Randriantefy.

After withdrawing from her quarterfinal against Daniela Hantuchova in Los Angeles earlier this month because of a chest muscle strain, Sharapova did not play again before arriving in New York, but said she felt her game was in good shape.

“I haven’t played a lot of matches, so I’m just trying to get used to the conditions, the stadium, the wind, playing under the lights for the first time in a while.

“So it felt good. It felt really good. When you’re out for a little while, first match you’re a little tentative. The injury, you don’t know how it’s going to be. So far it’s OK.”

Sharapova has never been beyond the third round at Flushing Meadows and admitted she felt she had something to prove at the year’s final Grand Slam event.

“I don’t think I’ve showed New York how I can play tennis,” she said.

“Hopefully, you know, I can put some good matches in here for my New York fans.”

Earlier Monday, defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova made the kind of history that no one wants to make on the opening day of the U.S. Open.

Kuznetsova became the first women’s defending champion to fall in the first round of the tournament, losing to fellow Russian Ekaterina Bychkova 6-3, 6-2.

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