Hingis was two points away from defeating eventual champion Venus Williams in the U.S. Open semifinals, but lost four straight games to suffer a heartbreaking defeat. Today, she plays Belgian Justine Henin in the second round.

Before the U.S. Open, Hingis announced she would not represent Switzerland at the Olympic Games in Sydney, citing a hectic schedule that would not allow her to make the trip to Australia.

Hingis, who turned 20 on Saturday, has won five titles this season, one behind Williams for the WTA Tour lead, and has compiled a 58-9 record. The top seed has won this event three of the last four years, including a 6-4, 6-1 win over Mary Pierce in last year's final.

Henin defeated Gala Leon Garcia of Spain, 6-4, 6-2, Tuesday. She is 0-1 lifetime to Hingis, losing in the second round of the Australian Open in January.

Fourth seed Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain faces Cara Black of Zimbabwe today in the second round.

After falling in the quarterfinals of the Olympics, Sanchez-Vicario is still seeking her first title of the year. She reached the finals at the Family Circle Cup, and Betty Barclay Cup during the spring claycourt season.

The 28-year-old Spaniard is making her sixth appearance at this event, having advanced to the semifinals in 1992 and 1998.

Black captured her first career title at Auckland in January and reached the semifinals at Birmingham and was a quarterfinalist at s'Hertogenbosch.

Also, fifth-seeded Amanda Coetzer of South Africa takes on Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, and Kim Clijsters of Belgium, who ousted No. 6 Anna Kournikova of Russia in the first round, battles Jana Kandarr of Germany.

In the first round, eighth seed Dominique Van Roost of Belgium goes against Anna Kremer of Luxembourg; Swedish qualifier Asa Carlsson plays Spain's Magui Serna, and Sabine Appelmans of Belgium encounters Bulgaria's Magdalena Maleeva

First prize is $87,000.