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Ivanisevic pumps life back into U.S. Open

Just when it looked like the U.S. Open was in danger of becoming a drab affair with the men's field stripped of lustre, Goran Ivanisevic rode to the rescue yesterday.

With world No. 1 Pete Sampras sent packing by an aching back, defending champion Patrick Rafter retired by a bad shoulder, and Tim Henman (sixth seed) and Alex Corretja (13th) dismissed -- all on a tumultuous Tuesday -- one could not help but wonder what's next for the men's draw?

Ivanisevic answered the call yesterday, slashing 27 aces and bumbling to 15 double faults, ripping 47 winners and spraying 51 unforced errors in beating spirited Finn qualifier Ville Liukko, and then brightening the interview room with his mischievous wit.

''Grand Slam is totally different,'' said Ivanisevic, who has won only two matches this summer. ''I come here with almost every week losing first round. I played more golf than tennis the past couple of weeks.''

On a day when order was largely restored after Tuesday's upheaval on the men's side, a dash of life was injected by the volatile Croatian, who changes personna like the gusts of wind that blow around Arthur Ashe stadium.

''There's a couple of guys there,'' said three-time Wimbledon runner-up Ivanisevic about whether the ''good Goran'' or the ''bad Goran'' showed up for his first-round match.

''I have a little chat, which one is going to go now? Sometimes we fight. 'I go.' 'You go.' ''

Nearly every seed in action yesterday went through to the next round as expected, led by women's top seed Martina Hingis with her emphatic 6-1, 6-1 second-round rout of France's Sarah Pitkowski.

Other women's seeds advancing included Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic (8), Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain (10), Austrian Barbara Schett (12), Dominique Van Roost of Belgium (13) and France's Amelie Mauresmo (15).

One mild upset was registered in an unseeded women's match as American Tara Snyder, ranked 56, eliminated 17-year-old Mirjana Lucic of Croatia, ranked 41, 7-5 6-3. Lucic had reached the third round the last two years.

Ninth seed Greg Rusedski lost the first set before recovering for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 win over Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero, and 14th-seeded Tommy Haas of Germany reached the second round 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) over dangerous Swedish floater Thomas Enqvist.

The only seeded casualty was hard-luck Felix Mantilla of Spain. Mantilla was made the 17th seed after Australian Mark Philippoussis, last year's Open runner-up, withdrew before the tournament due to injury. He inherited the 11th-seeded Australian's bad draw -- Sweden's Magnus Norman.

Norman, winner of four tournaments this year including last week's Hamlet Cup, eliminated Mantilla 1-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

Despite a fall from form that has sent Ivanisevic down to 39 in the rankings, the bearded Croat does not rule himself out of contention at this suddenly wide-open Open.

''It's bad for the tournament, for the tennis, that Pete (Sampras) is out, and Patrick (Rafter) with injury last night,'' said Ivanisevic, an Open semi-finalist in 1996.

''But anybody can win this tournament.''

Asked whether the ''good Goran'' or the ''bad Goran'' would get the hardware from winning the Open, Ivanisevic said: ''Oh, we all get the trophy. I get the trophy, then I buy another two trophies for whoever is there.''

Rusedski, the Open runner-up in 1997, showed no ill effects from the foot injury that has plagued him since the French Open.

''I thought I played really well in the beginning,'' said Rusedski. ''I just thought he played better than I did the first set.

''After that, I managed to establish my authority by getting an early break in the second set. From then on in, I felt like I dominated most of the match.''

The big-serving Briton said his foot was not a worry, but his treatment made one wonder. ''You're just getting older as a tennis player all the time. Just something you have to deal with,'' he said.

''It's nothing serious or anything like that. I just have a massage, then I get a little bit of ice, do some (ultra) sound on it. It's absolutely fine.''

UNI