The world number one Indians, looking for their third straight Grand Slam title, won 6-4 6-4. They broke their opponents twice to easily win the first set but then lost concentration and were in trouble in the second before they picked up their game to win by the same margin.

The Norval-Ulleytt team is one of the strong teams in the doubles circuit and the easy victory against them will be a big boost for the Indians, who were going through indifferent form in the lead-up to the event, due to the injury to Bhupathi. But Bhupathi looked fully fit and was in top form yesterday.

Bhupathi, pairing Ai Sugiyama of Japan, entered the second round of the mixed doubles event, defeating Alexandra Fusai (France) and Martin Damm (Czech) 6-2 7-5. Top seeds Leander Paes and Lisa Raymond play their firstround match today, after Paes and Bhupathi face Jan Michael Gambill and Adam Peterson in the doubles second round.

Teen taunt

Venus Williams got a hearty chuckle over top seed Martina Hingis' ``big mouth'' jibe, even as the Swiss star warned Williams that her US Open rivals might have the last laugh.

Australian Open champion Hingis and third seed Williams advanced to the third round of the $ 14.5 million-dollar Grand Slam tennis tournament with a straight-set triumphs here yesterday before the teens traded taunts.

Hingis beat France's 34th-rated Sarah Pitkowski 6-1 6-1 in 46 minutes and will face 213th-ranked German qualifier Sandra Kloesel next. Williams beat France's 35th-rated Anne-Gaelle Sidot 6-4 6-3 in 77 minutes and next plays 32nd-rated Henrieta Nagyova of Slovakia.

Asked about outspoken tennis father Richard Williams' prediction that the finals would match his daughters, Hingis ripped the whole family for arrogant antics.

``They always have a big mouth. They always talk a lot,''Hingis said. ``It happened before. It's going to happen again. I don't really worry about that. I like that. It's more pressure on them. Whether or not they can handle it is the question. The other players are really pumped up about that.''

Men's third seed Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia crushed 101st-ranked lucky loser Max Mirnyi of Belarus 7-5 6-1 6-7 (5/7) 6-3, advancing into a third-round match against 42nd-ranked Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden.

REUTERS ADDS: After breezing through her opening match on the wind-swept first day of the open, Williams was greeted with calmer conditions but stiffer resistance from her second opponent.

``Anne-Gaelle played well. She hits a nice, flat, deep ball, so that's always good competition,'' Williams said of the 35th-ranked 20-year-old Frenchwoman, who came up with some impressive groundstrokes for a player who had been bounced in the first round of all three previous Grand Slams this year.

Williams, enjoying a career-high ranking of third in the world, chose ashort, skin-tight, white backless dress with matching white hair beads as evening wear for her first night match of the 1999 US Open. At times she looked as tight as the dress, although she was never in any real danger.

RAFTER'S ROTATOR CUFF: Pat Rafter is suffering from a small tear in the rotator cuff of his right shoulder and will need rest -- not surgery -- to regain fitness, according to a test performed yesterday.

Rafter had been playing with shoulder tendonitis for three months. Doctors who performed a MRI scan in New York did not give a timetable for the Australian's recovery. But it's no secret Rafter is keen to play for his country in the Davis Cup September 24-26 semi-final in Brisbane against Russia.

US OPEN RESULTS

How the seeds fared

Men singles (2nd round): 3-Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Rus) bt Max Mirnyi (Belarus) 7-5 6-1 6-7 (5) 6-3.

Women singles (2nd round): 1-Martina Hingis (Swiss) bt Sarah Pitkowski (France) 6-1 6-1; 3-Venus Williams (US) bt Anne-Gaelle Sidot(France) 6-4 6-3; 8-Jana Novotna (Czech) bt Tina Krizan (Slovak) 6-0 6-3; 10-Arantxa Sanchez Vicario Spain) bt Nicole Pratt (Aus) 6-2 6-2; 12-Barbara Schett (Austria) bt Asa Carlsson (Swed) 6-4 6-2; 13-Dominique Van Roost (Belg) bt Rita Grande (Italy) 6-3 6-3; 15-Amelie Mauresmo (France) bt Mariaan De Swardt (SA) 4-6 6-1 6-3.

Mixed doubles (1st round): 2-Ai Sugiyama (Jap) & Mahesh Bhupathi (Ind) bt Alexandra Fusai (Fra) & Martin Damm (Czech) 6-2 7-5; 4-Corina Morariu & Jared Palmer (US) bt Tara Snyder & Cecil Mamiit (US) 6-2 6-2; Alexandra Stevenson & Brian MacPhie (US) bt 5-Elena Likhovtseva (Rus) & Mark Knowles (Bah) 6-2 6-3; 7-Larisa Neiland (Lat) & Rick Leach (US) bt Debbie Graham (US) & Sandon Stolle (Aus) 7-6 (8) 7-6 (7).

OTHER SECOND ROUND RESULTS

Men singles: Jonas Bjorkman Swed) bt Kenneth Carlsen (Den) 5-7 6-2 6-3 6-3.

Women singles: Sandra Kloesel (Germ) bt Jane Chi (US) 6-4 7-6 (4); Patty Schnyder (Swiss) bt Lisa Raymond (US) 6-3 3-6 6-3; Tara Snyder (US) bt MirjanaLucic (Croat) 7-5 6-3; Anke Huber (Ger) bt Anne Kremer (Lux) 6-1 7-6 (5); Henrieta Nagyova (Slovak) bt Magdalena Grzybowska (Pol) 6-4 6-3; Mary Joe Fernandez (US) bt Anastasia Myskina (Rus) 7-5 7-5; Virginia Ruano-Pascual Spain) bt Amanda Hopmans Ned) 6-4 6-1; Elena Likhovtseva (Rus) bt Tina Pisnik (Slovak) 6-2 6-3; Irina Spirlea (Rom) bt Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thai) 4-6 7-5 6-3.