'Guga' beats the blues; Hingis in a hurry

NEW YORK, AUG. 30. Top seeds Gustavo Kuerten and Martina Hingis joined Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic and runner-up Patrick Rafter in battling nerves as well as U.S. Open foes, with all four emerging triumphant.

The third day of the $15 million hardcourt tournament at Flushing Meadows also saw Monica Seles, Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport and Wimbledon runner-up Justine Henin move into the third round.

Kuerten, who won his third French Open title in June, bounced Czech veteran Daniel Vacek 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. The Brazilian, known for clay success, was worried after a first- round exit here last year.

Despite suffering from a cold and sore throat, Swiss star Hingis took only 37 minutes to beat Russia's 35th-ranked Lina Krasnoroutskaya 6-0, 6-2. The second-round affair was the fastest match yet at the hardcourt event.

Two-time U.S. Open champion Rafter reached the third round defeating Belgium's Christophe Rochus 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 and will play Ecuador's Nicolas Lapentti for a round of 16 berth.

In his first Slam encounter since beating Rafter in the Wimbledon final, 15th seed Ivanisevic beat American wildcard Hugo Armando 6-4, 6-4, 6-3. He was not confident after four first-round losses here, including last year.

Seventh seed Seles beat qualifier Evgenia Koulikovskaya 6-1, 6-4 in 47 minutes. Sixth seed Henin rallied to beat Swiss former No. 8 Patty Schnyder 6-7 (7-9), 6-1, 6-4 while 10th seed Serena routed 43rd-rated Czech Denisa Chladkova 6-1, 6-1 in 44 minutes.

Third seed Davenport's 6-0, 6-2 victory over Emilie Loit was so lopsided that the Frenchwoman wanted to pay for the schooling she received.

Leander-Mahesh pair bows out

Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi of India crashed out of the doubles event, losing in the first round to Sergio Roitman of Argentina and Italy's Andres Schneiter.

The fifth-seeded Indian duo, which won the French Open title for the second time earlier this year, lost in straight sets 6-7 (4- 7), 1-6 on Wednesday.

The results (prefix denotes seedings):

Women's singles (second round): 1- Martina Hingis (Sui) bt Lina Krasnorutskaya (Rus) 6-0, 6-2; 7-Monica Seles (U.S.) bt Evgenia Koulikovskaya (Rus) 6-1, 6-4; 14-Jelena Dokic (Yug) bt Lilia Osterloh (U.S.) 6-3, 6-3; 20-Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Esp) bt Ai Sugiyama (Jap) 6-3, 6-2; 21-Elena Likhovtseva (Rus) bt Nadia Petrova (Rus) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4; Miroslava Vavrinec (Sui) bt Tatiana Poutchek (Bel) 7-5, 4-6, 6-2; Daja Bedanova (Cze) bt Silvija Talaja (Cro) 6-1, 6-3; Barbara Schwartz (Aut) bt Virginie Razzano (Fra) 6-1, 7-6 (7-4); Eleni Daniilidou (Gre) bt Rachel McQuillan (Aus) 6-1, 7-5; Iva Majoli (Cro) bt Barbara Rittner (Ger) 6-4, 7- 5.

3-Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) bt Emilie Loit (Fra) 6-0, 6-2; 6- Justine Henin (Bel) bt Patty Schnyder (Sui) 6-7 (7-9), 6- 1, 6-4; 10-Serena Williams (U.S.) bt Denisa Chladkova (Cze) 6-1, 6-1; 12- Meghann Shaughnessy (U.S.) bt Asa Carlsson (Swe) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3; 27-Angeles Montolio (Esp) bt Miriam Oremans (Ned) 6-2, 6-1; Martina Sucha (Slo) bt Eva Bes (Esp) 6-2, 6-3.

Men's singles (second round): 6-Patrick Rafter (Aus) bt Christophe Rochus (Bel) 7-5, 6-2, 6-1; 26-Nicolas Lapentti (Ecu) bt Davide Sanguinetti (Ita) 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.

Men's singles (first round): 1-Gustavo Kuerten (Bra) bt Daniel Vacek (Cze) 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5; 12-Arnaud Clement (Fra) bt Galo Blanco (Esp) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; 15-Goran Ivanisevic (Cro) bt Hugo Armando (U.S.) 6-4, 6-4, 6-3; 16-Tommy Haas (Ger) bt John van Lottum (Ned) 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5); Bjorn Phau (Ger) bt 19- Thomas Enqvist (Swe) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; 23- Dominik Hrbaty (Slo) bt Alex Calatrava (Esp) 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3; 27-Guillermo Canas (Arg) bt Wayne Arthurs (Aus) 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (7- 9), 6-2; Kristian Pless (Den) bt Alberto Martin (Esp) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5; Albert Costa (Esp) bt Levar Harper-Griffith (U.S.) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; Max Mirnyi (Bel) bt Gaston Gaudio (Arg) 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, 7-6 (7-4); Felix Mantilla (Esp) bt Jose Acasuso (Arg) 6-3, 6-3, 6-4; Justin Gimelstob (U.S.) bt Michal Tabara (Cze) 6-4, 6-3, 4- 6, 4-6, 6-2; Fernando Vincente (Esp) bt Andreas Vinciguerra (Swe) 7-6 (10-8), 6-3, 7-6 (8-6); Kristian Pless (Den) bt Alberto Martin (Esp) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5; Jiri Novak (Cze) bt Ivo Heuberger (Sui) 6-2, 6-3, 6-4; Jan Siemerink (Ned) bt Jiri Vanek (Cze) 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-0, 6-4; 17-Carlos Moya (Esp) bt Mardy Fish (U.S.) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 6- 3.

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