MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Unseeded and unfamiliar as partners, Martina Hingis and Monica Seles combined Thursday to oust the top seeds and defending women's doubles champions at the Australian Open.

Hingis and Seles, No. 1 and No. 4 respectively in singles rankings and teaming for only the second time, overcome Rennae Stubbs and Lisa Raymond in the first round at Melbourne Park.

Speaking after the 7-6 (2), 6-3 loss, Raymond said it was unfair that the two best women's teams were drawn to meet in the opener.

Stubbs wasn't so diplomatic. She ripped Australian Open organizers for bungling the draw by refusing to seed the Hingis-Seles combination.

``You basically had the 2000 final out there with the exception of substituting Mary Pierce and Monica Seles,'' Stubbs said. ``For anyone to think that wasn't a ridiculous first round, they're not being honest.

``Martina's ranked No. 1 in the world, No. 2 in doubles. We're ranked 4 or 5 (in doubles), we shouldn't be playing each other first round of a Grand Slam.''

Hingis has won the Australian Open doubles title in three of the last four years, with a different partner each time. Stubbs and Raymond ended her winning stretch last year with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 triumph in the final.

Hingis also won three successive Australian Open singles titles from 1997-99 before losing to Lindsay Davenport in 2000. Seles is a four-time Australian Open titlist.

Stubbs said organizers erred by not seeding Venus and Serena Williams, the reigning Wimbledon and Olympic doubles champions.

``It's ridiculous that they're not seeded either, they've won four or five Grand Slams,'' she said. ``Just because they haven't played enough tournaments to have a ranking -- it's irrelevant. It's not like they're two great singles players that were just thrown together ... they're proven.''

Hingis admitted it was a tough draw, and she struggled initially after racing off from a second-round singles win to play the doubles match.

``We definitely proved ourselves, that we can play well,'' she said. ``So far, we're winning, but we didn't play our best ... we didn't have that much time to practice.''

The 20-year-old Swiss recently ended her doubles partnership with Russia's Anna Kournikova, but said her new combination with Seles gave her new energy.

``Someone who is so professional like Monica is always a thrill to go out there with because she's such a fighter.'' Hingis said.

Hingis and Seles will meet Jennifer Capriati and Jelena Dokic in the second round. The Williams sisters advanced to a second-round meeting against Els Callens and Anne Gaelle Sidot.