Svetlana Kuznetsova's reign as US Open champion ended unceremoniously on Monday, the first time in the Open era that the women's defending champion was knocked out in the first round. Fellow Russian Ekaterina Bychkova, ranked 97th in the world, shocked the fifth-seeded Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-2 to reach the second round in her first Grand Slam appearance.
"Of course I'm disappointed to lose that match but things happen like this," said Kuznetsova, whose title defence lasted just 65 minutes in a match that saw her make 45 unforced errors.
Kuznetsova has struggled this season in the wake of her Grand Slam breakthrough last year. She hasn't won a title in 2005, managing only quarter-final appearances at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
Kuznetsova didn't blame the back injury that has hindered her in recent weeks, but she did feel the lack of matches may have hurt her.
"I wanted it really badly," she said. "I tried a lot. But it was not my day. I was ready, but I wasn't at my best."
Compatriot Maria Sharapova, the top seed who advanced with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Greece's Eleni Daniilidou, said it is difficult coping with the demands of sudden Grand Slam success.
"It's hard when people expect you to win all the time," said Sharapova, who shot to stardom with her Wimbledon triumph at the age of 17 in 2004. "Of course it's difficult."
While Sharapova is trying to add a second Grand Slam title to her collection here, she has managed a relatively steady season with three titles to her credit.
A strained chest muscle sidelined her in the weeks leading up to the Open, but she showed no ill effects against Daniilidou.
"The first few games was a little tough, I haven't played a lot of matches," said Sharapova, who fended off Daniilidou's six break opportunities in the opening set.
"I was down 15-40, love-40 on my serve. But I was cool," she said. "I didn't let that bother me. I felt like I was in control, mentally felt good."
Sharapova, who surrendered the world number one ranking to second seeded American Lindsay Davenport after just a week on Monday, led a string of women's seeds into the second round, including Serena and Venus Williams, Belgian Kim Clijsters, and Russian Nadia Petrova.
Clijsters, the fourth seed, continued the form that saw her win three of her last four starts in the build-up to the Open, dispatched German qualifier Martina Muller 6-1, 6-2.
Serena Williams, the Australian Open champion and eighth seed, showed a little rust after her own injury layoff but emerged with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over 16-year-old Taiwanese qualifier Chan Yung-Ja.
Williams, a two-time champion here, trailed 3-1 in the second but pulled herself together to win the last five games and take the match.
She stayed on course for a fourth-round clash with her sister Venus, who reversed her Grand Slam fortunes with a triumph at Wimbledon this year.
Venus Williams, the 10th seed, defeated Rika Fujiwara of Japan 6-3, 6-1. And despite missing some court time since with flu symptoms Williams said she was still energised by that triumph, which marked the first time she had moved beyond the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam since 2003.
"I'm extra motivated," she said. "I feel like I'm playing better than Wimbledon."
On the men's side, 35-year-old two-time champion Andre Agassi and 19-year-old second seed Rafael Nadal advanced with straight-set wins.
Agassi, who headlined the opening night session, cruised past Romanian Razvan Sabau 6-3, 6-3, 6-1, seeming a bit surprised to have it over with in just 69 minutes.
"I was pretty nervous, so it took me a while to settle in," said Agassi, who won seven of eight break points and fired 11 aces. "I want to be out here, to be healthy and to make it just about tennis. I felt great all the way through."
The speedy victory was good news for the US veteran, who has been managing a troublesome sciatic nerve that has seen him forego tournaments rather than play below his best.
Fourth seed Guillermo Coria cruised to a straight-sets win over Felix Mantilla in his first US Open appearance since 2003 and 10th-seeded Mariano Puerta of Argentina defeated Israeli Noam Okun in four sets.
American wild card Brian Baker posted the biggest early upset on the men's side, ousting ninth-seeded Argentinean Gaston Gaudio 7-6 (11/9), 6-2, 6-4.
COLLATED RESULTS (x denotes seeded player)
MEN'S SINGLES:
FIRST ROUND: Ivan Ljubicic (CRO x18) bt Tobias Summerer (GER) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3; Xavier Malisse (BEL) bt Jan Hernych (CZE) 6-2, 7-5, 6-2; Nicolas Massu (CHI) bt Jan-Michael Gambill (USA) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 6-3; Brian Baker (USA) bt Gaston Gaudio (ARG x9) 7-6 (11/9), 6-2, 6-4; Ricardo Mello (BRA) bt Juan Monaco (ARG) 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 6-1, 6-4; Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) bt Bobby Reynolds (USA) 6-3, 6-3, 6-4; Cyril Saulnier (FRA) bt Janko Tipsarevic (SEM) 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 6-3; Jiri Novak (CZE x23) bt Dick Norman (BEL) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2; Tomas Berdych (CZE x32) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4), 6-4; Giorgio Galimberti (ITA) bt Donald Young (USA) 7-6 (7/4), 6-1, 6-2; Igor Andreev (RUS) bt Gilles Elseneer (BEL) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
Mariano Puerta (ARG x10) bt Noam Okun (ISR) 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-0; Robin Soderling (SWE) bt Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-4; Tommy Haas (GER x29) bt Peter Luczak (AUS) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3; Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x24) bt Florian Mayer (GER) 6-1, 6-0, 6-2; Thomas Johansson (SWE x14) bt Mariano Zabaleta (ARG) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3; Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) bt Tomas Behrend (GER) 6-3, 6-3, 6-0; Guillermo Coria (ARG x8) bt Felix Mantilla (ESP) 7-6 (7/5), 6-1, 6-3; Richard Gasquet (FRA x13) bt Alberto Martin (ESP) 6-2, 6-3, 1-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4; Andre Agassi (USA x7) bt Razvan Sabau (ROM) 6-3, 6-3, 6-1; Ivo Karlovic (CRO) bt Mardy Fish (USA) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7/4); Scoville Jenkins (USA) bt George Bastl (SUI) 7-6 (7/4), 6-0, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/5); Tommy Robredo (ESP x19) bt Daniele Bracciai (ITA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
WOMEN'S SINGLES:
FIRST ROUND: Serena Williams (USA x8) bt Chan Yung-Jan (TPE) 6-1, 6-3; Francesca Schiavone (ITA x25) bt Jelena Kostanic (CRO) 6-2, 7-5; Nicole Vaidisova (CZE x26) bt Kveta Peschke (CZE) 6-3, 6-1; Zheng Jie (CHN) bt Iveta Benesova (CZE) 6-3, 3-6, 6-0; Catalina Castano (COL) bt Alina Jidkova (RUS) 6-4, 6-3; Julia Schruff (GER) bt Flavia Pennetta (ITA x28) 6-4, 3-6, 7-5; Ana Ivanovic (SEM x18) bt Lindsay Lee-Waters (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 6-3; Daniela Hantuchova (SVK x20) bt Camille Pin (FRA) 6-3, 6-1; Michaela Pastikova (CZE) bt Rita Grande (ITA) 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3; Ai Sugiyama (JPN x30) bt Alona Bondarenko (UKR) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3; Kim Clijsters (BEL x4) bt Martina Muller (GER) 6-1, 6-2; Nadia Petrova (RUS x9) bt Eva Birnerova (CZE) 6-4, 6-4; Maria Vento-Kabchi (VEN) bt Sandra Mamic (CRO) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3; Ekaterina Bychkova (RUS) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x5) 6-3, 6-2; Venus Williams (USA x10) bt Rika Fujiwara (JPN) 6-3, 6-1; Sania Mirza (IND) bt Mashona Washington (USA) 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (6/8), 6-4; Maria Elena Camerin (ITA) bt Dinara Safina (RUS x21) 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3; Fabiola Zuluaga (COL) bt Ashley Harkleroad (USA) 6-0, 3-0 ret; Lisa Raymond (USA) bt Anne Kremer (LUX) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2; Nicole Pratt (AUS) bt Akiko Morigami (JPN) 6-7 (0/7), 6-0, ret; Akiko Nakamura (JPN) bt Marissa Irvin (USA) 6-3, 6-3; Laura Granville (USA) Silvia Farina Elia (ITA x22) 6-2, 6-1; Ivana Lisjak (CRO) bt Emilie Loit (FRA) 1-6, 6-4, 6-3; Emma Laine (FIN) bt Peng Shuai (CHN) 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2; Vera Douchevina (RUS x33) bt Tiffany Dabek (USA) 6-1, 6-2; Maria Kirilenko (RUS) bt Laura Pous Tio (ESP) 6-2, 6-3; Marion Bartoli (FRA) bt Barbora Strycova (CZE) 6-3, 6-0; Maria Emilia Salerni (ARG) bt Jessica Kirkland (USA) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/0); Dally Randriantefy (MAD) bt Mary Gambale (USA) 6-3, 6-1; Shenay Perry (USA) bt Alica Molik (AUS x14) 6-4, 6-4; Shahar Peer (ISR) bt Marta Domachowska (POL) 7-5, 7-5; Maria Sharapova (RUS x1) bt Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) 6-1, 6-1.
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