ROME (AP) -- To hear Martina Hingis tell it, it's tough being No. 1.

``You feel like the hunted one. You have to win every time,'' said Hingis, who heads the field in the Italian Open women's tournament.

The 18-year-old Swiss player might be onto something, particularly as she tries to defend her title in the clay-court tournament and prepare for the French Open, the only Grand Slam event played on the slow surface.

Her half of the draw includes three other teen stars -- the Williams sisters, third-seeded Venus and sixth-seeded Serena, and ninth-seeded Anna Kournikova of Russia.

Venus Williams is coming off her first clay-court victory in Hamburg, Germany, a 6-0, 6-3 rout Sunday of France's Mary Pierce. Serena Williams upset Hingis at the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla., in March.

The top eight seeds had first-round byes in the $1 million tournament, which began today.

Today's featured matches included Kournikova against Italy's Rita Grande and No. 11 Dominique Van Roost of Belgium against Nicole Arendt of Princeton, N.J.

Meeting the press Sunday, Hingis noted that most of the young stars who have added so much to the popularity of women's tennis were grouped with her.

In contrast, second-seeded Spanish star Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario's half of the draw includes such tour veterans as Spain's Conchita Martinez, Belarus' Natasha Zvereva and Pierce.

Hingis skipped the Hamburg tournament to prepare for her Italian title defense.

``I'm very fresh. I have big expectations,'' she said.

Interestingly, while sister Venus was playing her final in Germany, Serena was hitting with Hingis.

``I was kind of surprised she signed up to hit with me,'' Hingis said. ``She's never done that before. She's more open, more sociable than Venus.''

In last year's Italian Open, Venus beat sister Serena in the quarterfinals, then lost to Hingis in a tense three-set final.

For the first time in Rome, fans will be able to bet on matches. A trailer has been set up on the grounds of the Foro Italico to accommodate the bettors.

Hingis has been installed as the favorite, followed by Venus Williams.

The $2.4 million men's event begins play May 10.

American Pete Sampras will be playing his first tournament since dropping out of the Barcelona Open last month because of a back injury. Sampras is still seeking his first French title as proof he can win on clay as well as the Wimbledon grass and the hardcourts in the U.S. and Australian Opens.

Under the ATP Tour points system, Sampras recently lost his top ranking to Yevgeny Kafelnikov, even though the Russian has lost six straight first-round matches.

In Bol, Croatia, Corina Morariu of Boca Raton, Fla., routed top-seeded Julie Halard-Decugis of France 6-2, 6-0 to win the $142,500 Bol Ladies Open. The last two years, Morariu, ranked 38th in the world, lost at Bol to eventual winner Mirjana Lucic.

In Duluth, Ga., Stefan Koubek, a qualifier from Austria, beat fifth-seeded Sebastien Grosjean of France 6-1, 6-2 to win his first ATP Tour title, the $325,000 AT&T Challenge.

In Prague, Czech Republic, Slovakia's fifth-seeded Dominik Hrbaty clinched his second ATP tour title by defeating Ctislav Dosedel of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-2 in the final of the $475,000 Czech Open clay court tournament.

In Munich, Germany, Franco Squillari of Argentina captured his first ATP Tour title, the BMW Open, by beating Andrei Pavel of Romania 6-4, 6-3.

In Richmond, Va., two-time defending champion Jimmy Connors defeated longtime rival John McEnroe 6-1, 6-2 to win the Trigon Champions senior tournament. The victory was Connors' sixth in nine meetings with McEnroe on the Worldwide Senior Tennis Circuit and followed his recent win in the BTI Champions in Raleigh, N.C.