US Open results of day one.

By Etienne Stekelenburg
August 31 2004

Croatian Karolina Sprem lost to compatriot Jelena Kostanic, Jennifer Capriati had a bad start against Denisa Chladkova but overpowered the Czech for the victory in the second and third set. Daniela Hantuchova wins two tie-breaks in the second and third to overcome French lucky loser Camilla Pin.

Croatian rising star Karolina Sprem suffered a loss being defeated by her fellow Croatian and Fed Cup Team mate Jelena Kostanic in three sets. After losing the first set 6-3, Sprem came back in the second to win it 6-2 but she could not take the third losing it 6-4.

Sprem recently dumped her coach Sasa Hirszon, Sprem seems to have taken on Borna Bikic as her new coach. Bikic is the former coach and boyfriend of Jelena Dokic. Rumors are that Sprem didn’t chance coach for tennis reasons, Bikic and Sprem supposedly ended up in a love affair.

Karolina Sprem confirmed she is no longer working with her long time coach from Varazdin, where they both come from. "I'm not in a relationship with Bikic, that's rubbish. I can't trust Hirszon anymore and he can't trust me. We've had enough of each other, and he decided to quit working with me."

Jennifer Capriati did have some problems with Czech Denisa Chladkova in the first set of her first round match. Capriati was having a slow start and lost the first set 6-2, she stepped up her game and won the second set 6-1 and the third 6-2.

Capriati stated that winning the US Open is top priority this year. "Winning the US Open would be a dream come true," she said. "It would certainly be the icing on the cake for my career."

Daniela Hantuchova had a tough match against the French Lucky Loser Camilla Pin. The Slovakian was fighting a fierce battle and almost saw her US Open 2004 end in the first round.

Camilla Pin won the first set (6-1) of what became a more then 2 hours lasting battle where the French # 104 ranked held two match points in the third set. Hantuchova came back in the second set and won the tie-break (5). In the third set both players had problems holding their service. Pin had a very slow service where Hantuchova won most of her winners. When the Slovakian was trying to hold her serve she was making too many unforced errors losing it to Pin.

In the third set both players had to battle for a matchpoint in the tie-break again. The first one to take matchpoint was Pin but she could not convert before Hantuchova took the tie, the set and the match. 1-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (9).

16) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d. Klara Koukalova (CZE) 61 63
(12) Ai Sugiyama (JPN) d. Teryn Ashley (USA) 75 62
(2) Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) d. Marissa Irvin (USA) 64 62
(10) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) d. Henrieta Nagyova (SVK) 61 61
(31) Maria Vento-Kabchi (VEN) d. Conchita Martinez (ESP) 06 62 63
Jelena Kostanic (CRO) d. (18) Karolina Sprem (CRO) 63 26 64
(30) Tatiana Golovin (FRA) d. Anca Barna (GER) 62 64
Magui Serna (ESP) d. (Q) Maureen Drake (CAN) 62 64
Stephanie Foretz (FRA) d. Shenay Perry (USA) 76(1) 67(5) 64
Gisela Dulko (ARG) d. Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) 76(3) 63
(17) Alicia Molik (AUS) d. Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (FRA) 60 62
Akiko Morigami (JPN) d. Emmanuelle Gagliardi (SUI) 62 62
(23) Fabiola Zuluaga (COL) d. Myriam Casanova (SUI) 63 64
Julia Vakulenko (UKR) d. (WC) Amber Liu (USA) 36 63 61
(Q) Eugenia Linetskaya (RUS) d. Rita Grande (ITA) 57 61 62
(Q) Julia Schruff (GER) d. (WC) Jennifer Hopkins (USA) 63 67(4) 61
(Q) Severine Beltrame (FRA) d. Martina Sucha (SVK) 76(5) 46 61
Tathiana Garbin (ITA) d. Myriam Casanova (SUI) 62 61
(8) Jennifer Capriati (USA) d. Denisa Chladkova (CZE) 26 61 62
Marion Bartoli (FRA) d. (32) Meghann Shaughnessy (USA) 64 64
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d. (LL) Camille Pin (FRA) 16 76(5) 76(9)
(6) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d. Dinara Safina (RUS) 26 61 62
(22) Magdalena Maleeva (BUL) d. Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 26 64 64
Lindsay Lee-Waters (USA) d. Claudine Schaul (LUX) 26 62 64
Els Callens (BEL) d. (Q) Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) 26 64 75
Vera Douchevina (RUS) d. Aniko Kapros (HUN) 61 63
Iveta Benesova (CZE) d. (WC) Bethanie Mattek (USA) 64 36 63
(15) Patty Schnyder (SUI) d. Roberta Vinci (ITA) 76(3) 60
(WC) Angela Haynes (USA) d. Tatiana Perebiynis (UKR) 67(4) 61 76(5)
(3) Serena Williams (USA) d. Sandra Kleinova (CZE) 61 63
(28) Nathalie Dechy (FRA) d. Jelena Dokic (SCG) 36 60 75
Cara Black (ZIM) d. (WC) Jamea Jackson (USA) 76(2) 57 64