NEW YORK, Aug. 28 Former champions Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia and Martina Hingis of Switzerland were first-round winners Tuesday at the U.S. Open in New York.
Kuznetsova, 2004 champion and fourth-seeded this year, defeated Czech Klara Zakopalova 6-2, 6-3. The two-time major finalist was last year's runner-up at the French Open.
Hingis swept past France's Mathilde Johansson 6-0, 6-3. The former world No. 1 and five-time major title winner, Hingis was the U.S. Open champ in 1997 and the back-to-back runner-up in 1998 and 1999.
Sixth-seeded Russian Anna Chakvetadze defeated American Ashley Weinhold 6-1, 6-1, and seventh-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova beat Swiss Timea Bacsinszky 6-3, 6-1.
In a Top-10 upset, Ukrainian Julia Vakulenko beat No. 9 Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. Vakulenko had already beaten former No. 1 players Amelie Mauresmo and Kim Clijsters this season.
Also, Switzerland's Patty Schnyder defeated Czech Iveta Benesova 6-3, 6-0 and Czech Nicole Vaidisova beat Russian Alla Kudryavtseva 6-1, 6-2.
Vaidisova is playing her first tennis since early July after being sidelined with a mono-like illness.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
