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Kafelnikov, Moya score

Third-seed Yevgeny Kafelnikov moved a step closer to returning to the world No. 1 ranking with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 first-round victory over 54th-ranked Albert Martin of Spain at the wind-swept U.S. Open.

Kafelnikov is in the mix for potential top billing with current holder Pete Sampras and second seeded Andre Agassi. In order to capture the coveted ranking, the Russian needs to fare better than both Sampras and Agassi during the next two weeks of the Open.

According to the 25-year-old Russian, the battle brewing for world supremacy at this Open is an intriguing prospect.

''One thing is for certain, it makes the tournament a lot more interesting for the fans, for the media,'' Kafelnikov said. ''All I can tell you, we definitely are going to try to play as hard as we can. Basically, it's not so many tournaments left to the end of the year. The guys who are challenging for No. 1, they're definitely going to give 100 per cent what they can.''

Sampras closed out last year atop the world rankings for a record sixth consecutive year.

Spaniard Carlos Moya, another one of the five players who tasted the top ranking this year, also moved ahead to the second round with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-3, 6-4 victory yesterday over 22nd-ranked Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia.

The eighth-seeded Moya, the 1998 French Open champion, held the top ranking for two weeks this winter.

''If you win, then it's a good draw,'' Moya said. ''If you lose, it's a bad draw. You get a lot of confidence beating a good player in the first round.''

Kafelnikov, who won his second career Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open in January, became the first Russian man to ascend to the world No. 1 ranking this spring. During his six-week reign that began on May 3, Kafelnikov struggled to a 6-4 win-loss record before being dethroned.

The Russian admits that soaring back to the top of the tennis world is a primary goal, saying, ''It's very important. I've been in that position before where I held the No. 1 spot for six weeks, but I'd like to get back there, no questions about it."

Despite some lacklustre results this season, Kafelnikov is concentrating on the fact that he arrives at the Open with an impressive summer showing, having won 17 of his last 22 matches. Kafelnikov reached the finals at the Canadian Open and Washington, losing to Swede Thomas Johansson and Agassi, respectively.

''It's the U.S. Open now, it's the only tournament I'm concerned about at the moment,'' said Kafelnikov, the 1996 French Open champ.

Kafelnikov's performance against Martin, a player competing in his first U.S. Open, was hardly a fine-tuned effort.

Kafelnikov had his serve broken on six of nine occasions he offered Martin. Fortunately for the third seed, Martin had more difficulty with his own serve, facing 20 break points and dropping nine service games.

''It was difficult, definitely," said Kafelnikov, who faces lucky loser Max Mirnyi of Belarus in the second round.

"The wind was playing not in my favour. It was kind of an equaliser for both. The wind makes my life so miserable, I had to struggle. But I'm glad I got through it.''

Kafelnikov and Moya were joined by former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek as easy winners in cool, blustery conditions at the National Tennis Centre.

Krajicek, seeded No 12, clobbered 18-year-old American Phillip King, the reigning U.S. junior hardcourts champion, 6-1, 6-4, 6-0.

''I'm hoping I'm still able to beat these kind of players,'' said the 27-year-old Krajicek, who was not impressed by his opponent's credentials. ''He's a lot younger and he still has a lot to learn.''

Men's second seed Andre Agassi, one of the pre-tournament favourites, plays his first-round match tonight at the Arthur Ashe stadium court against Nicklas Kulti of Sweden.

While the top men's players cut through the wind and their first-round opponents, Romanian Irina Spirlea disrupted the women's procession by bumping off Amanda Coetzer on opening day.

Women's sixth seed Coetzer played her last singles match of the season's final Grand Slam event as she was ousted by the unseeded Spirlea.

Spirlea, perhaps best remembered at the Open for her bumping incident with Venus Williams during a changeover in the semi-finals two years ago, sent the speedy Coetzer scurrying from the singles draw by a 6-1, 7-5 decision.

''I felt like my focus wasn't as good as it should be in these matches,'' Coetzer said. ''I was playing against an opponent I respect and she's done well here before. I felt I got distracted by those thoughts.''

Spirlea stayed on course for a possible quarter-final match against third-seeded Venus Williams, and faced the never-ending question about her aggressive run-in with the black American as they headed for their chairs.

''Everyone's always talking about it,'' complained the 20th- ranked Spirlea, who pleaded for an end to the subject. ''It's so old it's already gone.''

Williams did her part to keep the fire burning by blitzing past Belorussian qualifier Tatiana Poutchek 6-1, 6-2.

Afterwards, Williams vowed to crown a personally disappointing Grand Slam season with a rousing Open. The 19- year-old American, an Open finalist in 1997, lost in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, the fourth round of the French and the quarters at Wimbledon.

''I'm very disappointed in my Grand Slam performances this year,'' said Williams. ''Very.''

Other women's seeds to advance included Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (10), Barbara Schett (12), Dominique Van Roost (13) and Amelie Mauresmo (15).

Women's top seed Martina Hingis, the 1997 winner, plays her first-round match under the lights at Arthur Ashe stadium against Kveta Hrdlickova of the Czech Republic.

Sanchez Vicario, the 1994 Open champion, eliminated 1998 U.S. Open girls' champion Jelena Dokic of Australia 7-5, 6-1.

The 27-year-old Spaniard, who is 11 years older than the tall, blonde Dokic -- a surprise quarter-finalist this summer at Wimbledon -- rallied back from a 4-1 deficit in the first set. The Spaniard won 12 of the next 14 games to close out the 69-minute match.

Dokic had trouble controlling her high service toss in the swirling winds and even more trouble landing her groundstrokes, making 45 unforced errors to just 20 for Sanchez Vicario.

''Too many unforced errors,'' said Dokic. ''I think I just gave the match away.''

UNI