FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- Martina Hingis did not let Iva Majoli hand her another Grand Slam disappointment.

Hingis lost to Majoli in the 1997 French Open final and seemed on her way to her earliest career exit from the U.S. Open Tennis Championships after dropping the first set to the Croatian on Friday.

But the top seed from Switzerland overcame a gutty performance from an injured Majoli and rallied for a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) third-round victory.

On the men's side, Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia, the 15th seed, stormed into the third round by dumping American qualifier Justin Gimelstob, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

Top seed Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil looks to secure a berth in the third round later Friday.

Kuerten, the reigning French Open champion, goes against Kristian Pless of Denmark, the 1999 U.S. Open junior boys' runner-up.

After Hingis forced the final set, Majoli lost her serve in a long opening game and called for a trainer to receive treatment for a strained right thigh and blister on her right hand.

Majoli dropped the next two games following the injury timeout to fall behind 0-3. But the Croatian would not go down easily, breaking Hingis in the fourth game and again in the 10th to pull even at 5-5.

"I was getting a little bit tired and Martina was taking control," Majoli said. "Then I just started fighting back and I didn't want to give up so easy."

Hingis broke for a 6-5 advantage, but was unable to close out the match as Majoli emphatically delivered an overhead smash to force the tiebreak.

A forehand long by Hingis gave Majoli a 5-4 lead in the tiebreak, but a netted backhand followed by two forehand errors allowed Hingis to escape with the win in just under 2 1/2 hours.

"I knew she was a little injured and she wasn't really running," Hingis said. "I could see she was very tired, exhausted at the end. But she went for it and hit a lot of winners. She played a very good match."

Seeking her first Grand Slam title in over 2 1/2 years, Hingis improved to 7-1 lifetime in three-set matches at the U.S. Open.

"Today's match was just not the best I've ever played," Hingis said. "I won the last point and I'm very happy about that."

Majoli held the advantage in winners, 47-21, but committed 61 unforced errors in falling to 2-8 lifetime against Hingis.

Ranked as high as No. 4 in the world in 1996-97, the Croatian has battled injuries in recent years and has seen her ranking fall to No. 47.

"I'm just going to keep working," Majoli said. "I'm disappointed in the way I lost, but I have to be proud of myself that I've been coming back and working hard. I feel I belong where I used to be, the top 10."

What should have been an emotionally charged matchup between Ivanisevic and Gimelstob ended up a one-sided affair as the Wimbledon champion fired 24 aces and produced 43 winners to prevail in under two hours.

On Wednesday, Gimelstob pulled out a five-set win over Czech Michal Tabara, who spit at Gimelstob and was later fined $1,000 by the International Tennis Federation.

In other men's action, fifth seed Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain downed Vladimir Voltchkov of Belarus, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1, 6-4, and seventh seed Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia came back from a two-set deficit to outlast Switzerland's George Bastl, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.

No. 16 Tommy Haas of Germany reached the third round by downing Felix Mantilla of Spain, 6-1, 6-0, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3.

Also, fourth seed Lleyton Hewitt of Australia, a semifinalist last year, faces American James Blake; No. 12 Arnaud Clement of France meets Dutchman Jan Siemerink; and No. 17 Carlos Moya goes against fellow Spaniard Fernando Vicente.

American teenage sensation Andy Roddick, the 18th seed, meets countryman and qualifier Jack Brasington to complete the night session.

Roddick, who turned 19 Thursday, won the U.S. Open junior title last year and has won three titles on the ATP this year.

Spain's Albert Costa upended No. 23 Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), and No. 25 Albert Portas of Spain dispatched Andrei Stoliarov of Russia, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3. Qualifier David Nalbandian of Argentina outdueled No. 31 Nicolas Escude of France, 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

American Meghann Shaughnessy became the highest seeded female to get knocked out as Czech Daja Bedanova upended the 12th seed, 6-4, 6-1.

Two other American women's seeds stormed into the round of 16.

Seventh-seeded and two-time champion Monica Seles had an easier time in her third-round match as she dumped Eleni Daniilidou of Greece, 6-2, 6-3, in just under an hour.

Tenth seed Serena Williams of the United States, the 1999 champion, crushed Martina Sucha of Slovakia, 6-1, 6-0, in 47 minutes.

No. 14 Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia set up a fourth-round showdown with Hingis by downing No. 20 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain, the 1994 champion, 6-4, 7-5. Dokic eliminated Hingis in the first round at Wimbledon two years ago.

In other third-round matchups, third seed and 1998 champion Lindsay Davenport of the United States battles No. 27 Angeles Montolio of Spain on Friday night, and sixth seed and Wimbledon finalist Justine Henin of Belgium plays Miroslava Vavrinec of Switzerland.

No. 21 Elena Likhovtseva of Russia encounters Barbara Schwartz of Austria.