NEW YORK -- In tennis parlance, it's known as a double-bagel: 6-0, 6-0.

Venus Williams and Jennifer Capriati both produced just such shutout victories in first-round matches against qualifiers Tuesday at the U.S. Open.

Williams, the two-time defending champion, beat Mirjana Lucic of Croatia. Capriati defeated 17-year-old American Bethanie Mattek.

"I'm not out there to feel sorry for anybody,'' the third-seeded Capriati said after her 44-minute outing. "Once you start that, then you never know. It could turn into one game, two games, three games.''

Mattek was playing in just her third career tour-level match and is now 0-3. She's currently ranked 401st.

"You know, it's got to be a lesson, too. She's got to learn. She's got to experience it out there,'' Capriati said. "It will make her tougher.''

Capriati also registered a shutout in May, against Mary Pierce in the Italian Open.

The second-seeded Williams, though, said: "It was nice to have that score. I've never had it. Once, maybe, in qualifications, a long time ago.''

In Lucic, she was facing a far more accomplished player than Mattek.

Although the Croatian's ranking has fallen to 214th, the start of her career was quite promising.

At 15, in 1997, she won her very first tour event, in Bol, Croatia. When she won that tournament again the next year, she became the youngest player to successfully defend a WTA Tour title.

Lucic also reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 1999, and paired with Martina Hingis to win the doubles title at the 1998 Australian Open.

For Williams, Tuesday's victory was her 14th straight since losing to younger sister Serena in the Wimbledon final.

"When I'm out there, I'm just enjoying myself,'' Williams said, "especially if I'm winning.''