TENNIS: Women's champion and fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova was dumped out of the US Open at the first-round stage yesterday, beaten 6-3, 6-2 by her Russian compatriot Ekaterina Bychkova, the world number 97.

Kuznetsova, whose preparation had been affected by a back injury, is the first defending women's champion to go out in the first round of the tournament.

Bychkova, who came through the junior ranks with Kuznetsova,showed no sign of nerves in her first grand slam appearance, breaking three times on her way to winning the first set.

The 20-year-old then broke in the first and third games of the second set to lead 3-0 before Kuznetsova gave herself a glimmer of hope by getting one of the breaks back.

But Bychkova broke again in the next game and clinched victory on her second match point when Kuznetsova made her 45th unforced error of the match.

Eighth seed Serena Williams seemed to struggle at times against Chan Yung-jan, a 16-year-old grand slam rookie from Chinese Taipei, and this rather suggested the American, twice the champion here, in 1999 and 2002, may this time have trouble making the second week.

On the face of it the 6-1, 6-3 win appeared comfortable enough, but Chan, a qualifier, had points for a 4-1 lead in the second set and, with a little more experience, might have forced the issue further.

Perhaps that is why Serena rather quickly dispensed with the $40,000 worth of 13-carat earrings that flashed in the noonday sun as the Taipei teenager, ranked outside the world's top 200, forced Williams into the sort of galumphing runs unsuited to high-fashion accessories. Less sparkle and more elbow grease was the order of the day.

The other Williams sibling, this year's Wimbledon champion, Venus, also dropped just four games on her way to victory over Japan's Rika Fujiwara, 6-3, 6-1.

Fourth seed Kim Clijsters launched her campaign with a 6-1, 6-2 thrashing of German qualifier Martina Mueller.

The in-form Belgian, who has won six tournaments this year, outclassed her 135th-ranked opponent with the punishing baseline shots that have become her trademark.

Clijsters needed only 53 minutes to complete an impressive workout, sealing victory with a thunderous first serve.

The 2003 US Open runner-up, still seeking her maiden grand slam title, will play either Ashley Harkleroad of the US or Colombia's Fabiola Zuluaga in round two.

Second seed Rafael Nadal made a confident start to his challenge crushing American wild card Bobby Reynolds 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round.

The Spaniard, who won his first grand slam title at the French Open earlier this year, outclassed the world number 132 in 111 minutes.

The 19-year-old Nadal, who has won nine titles this year but has yet to go beyond round two at Flushing Meadows, cruised through the first set and, once he had saved a break point at 5-3 in the second, was in total command.

Ninth seed Gaston Gaudio of Argentina suffered a shock first-round defeat, losing 7-6, 6-2, 6-4 to American wild card Brian Baker, the world number 195.

The former French Open champion was well below his best and Baker took full advantage to record his first victory at a grand slam and only the fourth win of his career.

Once the 20-year-old Baker had taken the first set tiebreak 11-9, Gaudio, who has won five titles this year, offered little resistance and the American eased to victory in two hours, 29 minutes. He will next play Belgian Xavier Malisse, who defeated Czech Jan Hernych.

Flushing Meadows: Day one scores

Men's singles

First round: (18) Ivan Ljubicic (Cro) bt Tobias Summerer (Ger) 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-3, Brian Baker (USA) bt (9) Gaston Gaudio (Arg) 7-6 (11-9) 6-2 6-4, Nicolas Massu (Chi) bt Jan-Michael Gambill (USA) 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 6-3, Xavier Malisse (Bel) bt Jan Hernych (Cze) 6-2 7-5 6-2, Ricardo Mello (Bra) bt Juan Monaco (Arg) 6-7 (2-7) 6-2 6-1 6-4, Cyril Saulnier (Fra) bt Janko Tipsarevic (Ser) 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 6-3, (2) Rafael Nadal (Spa) bt Bobby Reynolds (USA) 6-3 6-3 6-4, (32) Tomas Berdych (Cze) bt Phillip Kohlschreiber (Ger) 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-4) 6-4, (23) Jiri Novak (Cze) bt Dick Norman (Bel) 6-4 6-4 6-2, Giorgio Galimberti (Ita) bt Donald Young (USA) 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 6-2

Women's singles

First round: (26) Nicole Vaidisova (Cze) bt Kveta Peschke (Cze) 6-3 6-1, Jie Zheng (Chn) bt Iveta Benesova (Cze) 6-2 3-6 6-0, (8) Serena Williams (USA) bt Yung-Jan Chan (Tpe) 6-1 6-3, Catalina Castano (Col) bt Alina Jidkova (Rus) 6-4 6-3, (30) Ai Sugiyama (Jpn) bt Alyona Bondarenko (Ukr) 5-7 6-4 6-3, Julia Schruff (Ger) bt (28) Flavia Pennetta (Ita) 6-4 3-6 7-5, (18) Ana Ivanovic (Ser) bt Lindsay Lee-Waters (USA) 7-6 (7-5) 6-3, Michaela Pastikova (Cze) bt Rita Grande (Ita) 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-3, (20) Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) bt Camille Pin (Fra) 6-3 6-1, Maria Vento-Kabchi (Ven) bt Sanda Mamic (Cro) 1-6 6-3 6-3, (4) Kim Clijsters (Bel) bt Martina Muller (Ger) 6-1 6-2, (9) Nadia Petrova (Rus) bt Eva Birnerova (Cze) 6-4 6-4, Ekaterina Bychkova (Rus) bt (5) Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) 6-3 6-2, Sania Mirza (Ind) bt Mashona Washington (USA) 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (6-8) 6-4, Aiko Nakamura (Jpn) bt Marissa Irvin (USA) 6-3 6-3, Nicole Pratt (Aus) bt Akiko Morigami (Jpn) 6-7 (0-7) 6-0 ret, Laura Granville (USA) bt (22) Silvia Farina Elia (Ita) 6-2 6-1, (10) Venus Williams (USA) bt Rika Fujiwara (Jpn) 6-3 6-1, Maria Elena Camerin (Ita) bt (21) Dinara Safina (Rus) 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-3