NEW YORK, AUG 30: South African Amanda Coetzer became the first seed to fall at the US Open here today, losing in straight sets to unseeded Romanian Irina Spirlea.Spirlea, a semi-finalist in 1997 and ranked 20th in the world, defeated the sixth seed 6-1 7-5. In the second round Spirlea will face Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn, who defeated Tatiana Panova 7-6 (7/4), 6-1. In another first round match, tenth seed Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario put paid to Jelena Dokic's hopes of another Cinderella run, subduing the young Australian 7-5 6-1.Sanchez needed 69 minutes to overcome Dokic on the windy Arthur Ashe Stadium court. Dokic, 16, making her first career appearance in the main draw of the Open, earned her best career victory by upsetting world number one and top seed Martina Hinigs in the first round at Wimbledon, where she reached the quarter-finals. Caratti qualifiesCristiano Caratti of Italy reached the main draw of the US Open by advancing through the qualifying rounds for the fifth time in hiscareer.Caratti, who once ranked as high as No 26 in the world, had his best showing in a Grand Slam tournament in the 1991 Australian Open, where he reached the quarterfinals.Also qualifying in the women's singles was Tracy Singian, 19, of the US, a former junior doubles partner of Wimbledon semifinalist Alexandra Stevenson. Singian will play 12th-seeded Barbara Schett of Austria in her opening round match.RESULTS (first round)Men singles: 12-Richard Krajickek (Ned) bt Philip King (US) 6-1 6-4 6-0; Galo Blanco (Spain) bt Julien Boutter (France) 7-5 5-1 (retired); Ivan Ljublcic (Croat) bt Jeff Morrison (US) 6-1 6-2 6-4; Paul Goldstein US) bt Scott Draper (Aus) 6-3 6-1 6-0; George Bastl (Swiss) bt Franco Squillari (Arg) 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 6-4 6-4.Women singles: Irina Spirlea (Rom) bt 6-Amanda Coetzer (SA) 6-1 7-5; 10- Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (Spain) bt Jelena Dokic (Aus) 7-5 6-1; 13-Dominique Van Roost (Bel) bt Maureen Drake (Can) 6-1 6-0; Lisa Raymond (US) bt Emilie Loit (Fra) 6-0 6-4;Anke Huber (Ger) bt Silvija Talaja (Cro) 2-6 6-2 6-0; Asa Carlsson (Swed) bt Andrea Glass (Germ) 6-0 6-2; Amanda Hopmans (Ned) bt Elena Wagner (Germ) 7-6 (7-1) 6-3; Virginia Ruano-Pascual (Spain) bt Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Swiss) 6-2 6-4; Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thai) bt Tatiana Panova (Rus) 7-6 (7-4) 6-1.
