New York, August 27:

Jelena Jankovic and Nikolay Davydenko, both Grand Slam semi-finalists here a year ago, advanced to the second round of the US Open on Monday.

Serbian third seed Jankovic, nagged by a second-set problem with her left shoe, needed seven match points to finally subdue Slovakian Jarmila Gajdosova 6-2, 7-6 (7/2).

Russian fourth seed Davydenko defeated Jesse Levine 6-4, 6-0, 6-1 in one hour and 40 minutes, taking full advantage of eight double faults and 47 unforced errors by the US wild card entrant.

Davydenko, 26, will next face the winner between German Nicolas Kiefer or American Vince Spadea while fellow French Open semi-finalist Jankovic, 22, next meets Belarus’ Olga Govortsova who defeated Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.

Spain’s 21st-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero was the first seed ousted from the Open, falling to compatriot Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Japan’s Ai Sugiyama was the first person to win a match at the year’s final Grand Slam event, defeating Slovenia’s Andreja Klepac 6-3, 6-1 in 67 minutes. Sugiyama, seeded 28th, could face Henin in the third round.

Russia’s Dinara Safina advanced 6-2, 6-3 over Colombian Catalina Castano while Russian Elena Likhovtseva beat US wild card Lauren Albanese 6-0, 6-2.