Hewitt breezes while Safin struggles at US Open

Jim Slater, Agence France-Presse, New York

World number one Lleyton Hewitt and second seed Marat Safin, the past two men's champions at Flushing Meadows, took dramatically different paths to the second round of the US Open here Tuesday.

Defending champion Hewitt of Australia fired 14 aces and dispatched France's Nicolas Coutelot 6-2, 6-3, 6-3, but 2000 winner Safin of Russia battled 4 1/2 hours before outlasting Germany's Nicolas Kiefer 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).

Safin fought back from the verge of his third first-round ouster in a Grand Slam event, following Wimbledon in 1998 and the 2000 Australian Open. When he fell behind 3-2 in the tie-breaker, Safin thought he was done.

"I thought it was the end," Safin said. "I didn't play well at all. In the fifth set I served badly. In the tie-breaker I was scared because I didn't want to lose. I was really choking. I'm lucky it's over. It was unbelievable."

Reigning women's champion Venus Williams and Australian Open champion Jennifer Capriati each advanced with 6-0, 6-0, whitewashes while former world number ones Martina Hingis and Monica Seles also advanced.

"There will always be these kind of matches," Capriati said. "These matches are preparation for the matches to come later. I'm anxious to get to those matches."

Three more men's players quit matches due to injuries, including Australia's Mark Philippoussis, setting a Grand Slam record for first-round retirements and only one shy of the mark for an entire Slam event, set at the 1998 Australian Open.

Wimbledon winner Hewitt served notice that he will be the man to beat again despite a head cold and the pressure of trying to win back-to-back Slams and back-to-back US Opens.

"This place changed my life. This is where I got my big breakthrough," Hewitt said. "It's an extra special thing to be here. It's a plus. I enjoy coming back here and defending my title."

Safin's battle of attrition ended with Kiefer fighting agonizing leg cramps and Safin taking treatment, wheelchairs waiting just off the court in case neither man could hobble to the locker room on his own.

"I knew he was also cramping, but finally I couldn't make it," Kiefer said. "I had never cramped before. It's a very bad feeling. I didn't think about (quitting). I wanted to finish it."

Safin served for the match in the ninth game of the final set but squandered it on a double fault.

Safin seized a 6-3 lead in the tie-breaker when Kiefer netted a forehand and fell to the court, cramping in pain.

"I wanted to hit the ball but my legs didn't move," Kiefer said. "I was just standing there and then I got a cramp in my left leg."

Trainers had to help Kiefer rise to his feet to finish. Safin hoped he would stay down.

Philippoussis also made a heroic effort to play after injuring his left knee but was forced to quit while leading. Dutchman Sjeng Schalken advanced 6-7 (1/7), 4-6, 6-3, 5-3 when Philippoussis retired after two hours and 56 minutes after reinjuring a knee first damaged in 1999 at Wimbledon.

Williams began defense of her title by blanking Croatian qualifier Mirjana Lubcic 6-0, 6-0, in 50 minutes. "It's nice to have that scoreline," Williams said. "I've never had that before."

Second seed Venus Williams said she hoped to face her younger sister Serena in the US Open final for the second year in a row and the fourth time in five Slam finals. Serena beat Venus in this year's Wimbledon and French Open finals.

Ninth seed Hingis won her first Grand Slam match since losing the Australian Open final to Capriati, outlasting American Marissa Irvin 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. Hingis, coming off a foot injury, was cheered on by golf-star boyfriend Sergio Garcia.

Third seed Capriati routed fellow American Bethanie Mattek 6- 0, 6-0 while sixth seed Seles subdued Hungary's Zsofia Gubacsi 6- 3, 6-3.