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Serena, Agassi progress on emotional opening day

NEW YORK Aug. 27. World No. 1 Serena Williams struggled into the second round on a night when courage was honoured at the U.S. Open and top women's rivals served notice they will not surrender without a fight.

The Wimbledon and French Open champion ousted leukaemia-conqueror Corina Morariu 6-2, 6-3 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday.

Men's sixth seed Andre Agassi showed top form in a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 romp over fellow American Robby Ginepri while fourth seed Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia and French Open champion Albert Costa of Spain, the eighth seed, also advanced.

Patriotic songs and a standing ovation for a flag that U.S. troops raised in Afghanistan highlighted the emotional salute to Ground Zero heroes from last year's World Trade Center collapse of the Twin Towers.

``It was touching,'' Agassi said. ``How do you not be affected and how do you not be reminded of all the reasons we fight so hard for freedom? It's always emotional when you have a ceremony for all we stand for.

``Seeing what happened here a year ago, it makes it easy to go out there and lay your heart on the line.''

Kournikova bows out

Anna Kournikova slumped out in the first round with an embarrassing and lacklustre 3-6, 0-6 loss to teenage Indonesian Angelique Widjaja.

The Russian had never suffered a first round defeat at Flushing Meadows since her debut in 1996, but threw in 40 unforced errors to allow the 17-year-old Widjaja to progress.

Widjaja had won only three WTA matches this year before facing the glamour girl of tennis, but as Kournikova surrendered a first set break by spraying woeful errors all round the court, the youngster grew in confidence.

She won the first set by breaking the 21-year-old Kournikova three times and the Russian appeared to give up the fight in the second set. Kournikova, in a white and blue outfit topped with a blue sun visor, drew a big crowd for her match but was jeered and whistled off the Louis Armstrong court after the 44-minute debacle.

Former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek was forced to retire with a foot injury during his first round match against Czech Jiri Novak. Novak, the 14th seed, was leading Krajicek 6-1, 5-4 when the Dutchman quit due to a right heel injury.

``It actually got worse a little bit, completely terrible at the end,'' said Krajicek on his ailment. ``What happened with my foot, I don't know what that is but tennis-wise, it wasn't a very good day.''

A three-time quarterfinalist, Krajicek missed last year's Open as he was recovering from elbow surgery. He returned to action in June and reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon last month before losing a five-set marathon to Belgium's Xavier Malisse.

Novak, a semifinalist at the Australian Open in January, will face either Dutch qualifier John van Lottum or Luis Horna of Peru in the second round.

Bhupathi-Mirnyi

ranked third

Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi of Belarus have been seeded third in the doubles draw. The duo will play Julian Knowle of Austria and Michael Kohlmann of Germany in the first round.

Leander Paes has been seeded 13th with Michael Hill of Australia, and the pair will meet Massimo Bertolini and Christian Brandi of Italy.

Wild card entrants, The Amritraj cousins, Prakash and Stephen, have been drawn to meet Frantisek Cermak and Ota Fukarek of the Czech Republic.

The results (first round, prefix denotes seedings):

Men: Wayne Ferreira (RSA) bt Jan Vacek (Czech) 6-3, 6-4, 7-5; 8-Albert Costa (ESP) bt Magnus Norman (Swe) 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; Michael Chang U.S.) bt Francisco Clavet (ESP) 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3); Harel Levy (Isr) bt 30-Andrei Pavel (Rom) 1-6, 7-6 (9-7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Ramon Delgado (Par) bt Alex Bogomolov (U.S.) 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 0-6, 6-4, 7-5; 13-Roger Federer (Sui) bt Jiri Vanek (Czech) 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5; 20-Younes el Aynaoui (Mor) bt Jeff Morrison (U.S.) 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-2, 7-5; Nikolay Davydenko (Rus) bt Radoslav Lukaev (Bul) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4; Robin Soderling (Den) bt Lars Burgsmuller (Ger) 7-6 (9-7), 6-0, 6-4; 4-Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Rus) bt Davide Sanguinetti (Ita) 6-2, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4; Dominik Hrbaty (Slo) bt Mario Ancic (Cro) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 3-2, Ancic retd.; 25-James Blake (U.S.) bt Brian Vahaly (U.S.) 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5); Feliciano Lopez (ESP) bt Andre Sa (Bra) 7-5, 7-6 (7-1), 6-3; Anthony Dupuis (Fra) bt Andrea Gaudenzi (Ita) 6-3, 6-3, 4-2, Gaudenzi retd.; Hicham Arazi (Mor) bt Olivier Rochus (Bel) 6-2, 6-2, 6-4; 14-Jiri Novak (Czech) bt Richard Krajicek (Ned) 6-1, 5-4, Krajicek retd.; 22-Marcelo Rios (Chi) bt Jonas Bjorkman (Swe) 1-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-1; 32-Max Mirnyi (Bel) bt Attila Savolt (Hun) 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, 0-1, Savolt retd.; John van Lottum (Ned) bt Luis Horna (Peru) 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-4; 21-Gaston Gaudio (Arg) bt Todd Martin (U.S.) 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 7-5; 6-Andre Agassi (U.S.) bt Robby Ginepri (U.S.) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; Justin Gimelstob (U.S.) bt Edwin Kempes (Ned) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3.

Women: 8-Justine Henin (Bel) bt Samantha Reeves (U.S.) 6-1, 6-2; 12-Elena Dementieva (Rus) bt Saori Obata (Jpn) 6-2, 6-4; Janette Husarova (Slo) bt Maria Geznenge (Bul) 6-0, 7-5; Denisa Chladkova (Czech) bt Meilen Tu (U.S.) 6-0, 6-4; Bea Bielik (U.S.) bt Renata Voracova (Czech) 6-4, 6-4; 4-Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) bt Eva Dyrberg (Den) 6-2, 6-1; 15-Anastasia Myskina (Rus) bt Marta Marrero (ESP) 4-6, 6-4, 6-0; 27-Tamarine Tanasugarn (Tha) bt Barbara Rittner (Ger) 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2; Cara Black (Zim) bt Maria Emilia Salerni (Arg) 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 6-4; Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) bt 19-Anne Kremer (Lux) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2; Katarina Srebotnik (Slov) bt Laura Granville (U.S.) 6-3, 6-4; Petra Mandula (Hun) bt Miriam Oremans (Ned) 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; 24-Iva Majoli (Cro) bt Ashley Harkleroad (U.S.) 6-3, 6-2; Francesca Schiavone (Ita) bt Ansley Cargill (U.S.) 3-6, 6-1, 6-1; Rossana Neffa-de los Rios (Par) bt Ludmila Cervanova (Slo) 6-1, 6-4; 5-Jelena Dokic (Yug) bt Greta Arn (Ger) 6-2, 6-2; Elena Bovina (Rus) bt Clarisa Fernandez (Arg) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6); Marion Bartoli (Fra) bt 25-Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (ESP) 6-3, 6-1; Elena Likhovtseva (Rus) bt Ally Baker (U.S.) 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3); 20-Daja Bedanova (Czech) bt Alina Jidkova (Rus) 6-1, 6-3; Els Callens (Bel) bt Tathiana Garbin (Ita) 6-0, 2-6, 6-1; Iroda Tulyaganova (Uzb) bt Adriana Serra Zanetti (Ita) 6-0, 6-0; Virginie Razzano (Fra) bt Mariana Diaz-Oliva (Arg) 7-5, 6-1; Angelique Widjaja (Ina) bt Anna Kournikova (Rus) 6-3, 6-0; Dinara Safina (Rus) bt Rita Grande (Ita) 7-6 (7-5), 6-1; 22-Tatiana Panova (Rus) bt Lilia Osterloh (U.S.) 6-1, 6-1; Fabiola Zuluaga (Col) bt Sarah Taylor (U.S.) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2; Nathalie Dechy (Fra) bt Maja Matevzic (Cro) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4); 11-Daniela Hantuchova (Slo) bt Nicole Pratt (Aus) 6-2, 6-1; 13-Silvia Farina Elia (Ita) bt Brie Rippner (U.S.) 6-1, 6-4; Stephanie Foretz (Fra) bt Alexandra Stevenson (U.S.) 6-4, 5-7, 6-3; 1-Serena Williams (U.S.) bt Corina Morariu (U.S.) 6-2, 6-3.

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