NEW YORK -- Martina Navratilova made a triumphant return to the U.S. Open on Thursday.

Navratilova, making her first appearance at the National Tennis Center since 1995, teamed up with Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario to win their first-round doubles match 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) over Sabine Appelmans and Linda Wild.

Navratilova, who was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in July, decided earlier this year to play doubles. Teaming with Mariaan de Swardt, Navratilova reached the third round in the French Open and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

It was the first time Navratilova and Sanchez-Vicario have teamed up since 1991 when they won Barcelona. In their only other pairing, they won the Family Circle Magazine Cup in Hilton Head Island, S.C., in 1990.

Making the most of it
Hyung-Taik Lee of Korea is having the time of his life in New York City.

The 24-year-old right-hander, who now lives in Seoul, won the Bronx Challenger as a qualifier before he qualified for the U.S. Open.

Now he's in the third round of his first Grand Slam tournament after upsetting 13th-seeded Franco Squillari of Argentina 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, 6-2 Thursday. In his first-round match, Lee upset Jeff Tarango, a member of the U.S. Olympic tennis team.

Prior to this year's tournament, Lee unsuccessfully tried to qualify for the U.S. Open in 1998 and 1999, losing in the first round both times. He also lost in the first round of qualifying for the Australian Open three times, in 1996, 1999 and 2000, and in the second round of this year's Wimbledon.

Although challengers and qualifying events are not counted in a player's win-loss record, Lee is currently on a 10-match winning streak. His third-round opponent will be Rainer Schuttler of Germany.

Hall of fame
Ivan Lendl is on the ballot to be elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I.

Lendl is one of six people listed on a ballot that will be distributed to a select group of voters who will determine the 2001 class into the Hall.

Lendl, who played in eight consecutive U.S. Open finals, winning three, is the only person on the ballot in the Recent Players category.

Listed on the ballot in the Master Players category are Mervin Rose and Owen Davidson of Australia. Listed as Contributors are photographer Russ Adams, Derek Hardwick and Brad Parks.

Aces wild
When it comes to hitting aces at the U.S. Open, don't look at the top-ranked players.

Meghann Shaughnessy of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Alicia Molik of Australia are the co-leaders with 16 aces through two rounds of the women's singles. Magui Serna of Spain and Miriam Oremans of the Netherlands are next with 12 apiece.

They may not hold the lead long, however. Shaughnessy plays third-seeded Venus Williams in the third round, while Serna takes on No. 13 Amanda Coetzer. Molik and Oremans both lost in the second round.

Chase Manhattan Bank is donated $50 for every ace hit in the women's singles to fund he Chase Tennis Camp for Girls.

Big changes
One year after they reached the final of all four Grand Slam tournaments, winning twice, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi were first-round losers in the U.S. Open men's doubles.

After they lost in the final match here a year ago, Paes and Bhupathi broke up as a team. They recently reunited so they could represent India in the Sydney Olympics.

On Thursday, they lost to Jaime Oncins of Brazil and Daniel Orsanic of Argentina 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).

Missing the top
When Arnaud Clement defeated Andre Agassi 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in a second-round match, it meant the first time since the Open Era began in 1968 that neither the No. 1 nor the No. 2 seed has advanced to the third round of the men's singles.

Second-seeded Gustavo Kuerten lost to Wayne Arthurs in a first-round match Tuesday.

The top two seeded players have been ousted by the third round only five times previously at any of the Grand Slam tournaments in the Open Era, all in the last three years.

The Nos. 1 and 2 seeds were eliminated in the first two rounds at the French Open in each of the last three years, and at the Australian Open in 1999. However, in the latter tournament, top-seeded Marcelo Rios withdrew with a stress fracture in his L2 vertebra before the tournament started.

Lines of communication
Players from 46 countries are competing in this year's U.S. Open, but nearly all of them speak English, the unofficial language of the tennis tours.

But not all.

After her 7-5, 6-4 second-round victory over Patty Schnyder on Thursday, Japan's Shinobu Asagoe was asked how the match went. She just stared at the English-speaking reporter.

Asked in English if she could say a couple of words on how her match went, she continued to stare as if not understanding the query.

A Japanese reporter then translated the question, "Can you give us a couple of words in English about how you enjoyed your victory?"

"Very happy," Asagoe quickly replied.

The remainder of the interview was conducted in Japanese.

Expecting
Tracy Austin, USA Sports women's tennis lead analyst, and her husband Scott Holt are expecting an addition to their family in the spring.

Austin, a two-time U.S. Open champion, is 11 weeks pregnant with her third child.

"We are happy to make this announcement at the U.S. Open," Austin said Thursday. "I have great memories here and it's special to be surrounded by such great friends who we know will share our happiness by this news."