The former Olympic champion, trying to get back to the top flight after a long absence, seemed increasingly unable to concentrate properly during a disappointing 6-3 6-1 defeat.

Simultaneously the French Open champion Iva Majoli managed to cope with a few difficult moments -- less than two weeks before she begins the defence of her title at Roland Garros.

Majoli saw Anne-Gaelle Sidot get within a point of a come back from a two-game deficit to 4-4 in the first set, and also saved two points to prevent Sidot taking a 3-1 lead in the second set, before completing a 6-3 6-2 win.

Hingis begins in the second round on Wednesday against Italian Silvia Farina, who earned the right to meet the triple Grand Slam title-holder by beating Naoko Sawamatsu of Japan 6-3 6-2.

Anotherteen-age prodigy, Anna Kournikova, earned herself a second round against one of her doubles partners, a fellow Russian Yelena Likkovtseva, with a routine 48-minute 6-2 6-1 first round win over Radka Bobkova of the Czech Republic.

Korda ousted

ROME: Morocco's diminutive Hicham Arazi rose to the occasion today, handing Petr Korda a 6-2, 6-4 loss to send the world No 2 out of the first round of the $2.45 million Italian Open.

Former French Open quarter-finalist Arazi, who stands just 1.76m tall, hung on to recover from a break down in the second set, levelled at 4-4 and fought through for the victory on his third match point, sealing it with an ace.

The defending French Open champion, Brazil's Gustavo Kuerten, had to rally for a 1-6,6-4,6-2 win after losing his way early against Spaniard Carlos Costa.

Last year's Australian Open finalist Carlos Moya, the tournament No 14, also needed a fight back to win. He eliminated fellow Spaniard Gala Blanco 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.

There was a welcome victory forAmerican Michael Chang, the former world No 2 who now stands 15th. He stopped Andrei Medvedev of the Ukraine for the seventh time against only one loss, winning 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

The Dutch 11th seed Richard Krajicek ousted Australian Mark Philippoussis -7,7-6 (7/4), 6-1, but seventh-seed Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden joined world No 5 Greg Rusedski of Britain as a day one loser.

The listless Bjorkman was knocked 6-2 6-3 by Belgian Filip Dewulf, a French Open semi-finalist last year. Rusedski is heading back to London after taking a 7-5, 7-6 (10-8) defeat at the hands of Czech journeyman Bohdan Ulihrach.

Two-time Rome champion Thomas Muster, formerly the king of clay and still a threat at age 30, crushed Marcelo Filippini of Uruguary 6-1,6-0 while American Todd Martin staged a rally to get past Spaniard Alberto Portas, winning 5-7,7-6 (7/2),6-4.