was stunned by unheralded Spaniard Galo Blanco in the first round of the US Open tennis championships late last night.

The 114th-ranked Blanco played the match of his life under intense pressure, winning a fifth-set tie-break to oust the fan favourite and recent Wimbledon runner-up 7-6 (7-3), 2-6, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5) in just over three hours.

Blanco had won just two matches since May and had but one US Open match win in four previous forgettable trips to Flushing Meadows. But he will surely never forget this trip to New York.

The ouster of the 20th-ranked Rafter, considered the most dangerous unseeded player in the field, ended a day that saw second-seeded French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten also sent packing in the first round after a four-set loss to Australian qualifier Wayne Arthurs.

Big-hitting qualifier Arthurs used his booming serve to topple world number two Kuerten at the US Open championships.

The 29-year-old Australian, ranked 100 places below Kuerten, fired in his 26th ace -- clocked at 134 mph -- to complete a stunning 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-1) triumph over the French Open champion from Brazil.

Arthurs, who rode his huge serve to the fourth round of the 1999 Wimbledon championships before falling there to Andre Agassi, pulverised the Brazilian in the fourth-set tiebreaker, yielding his only point after storming out to a 6-0 lead.

The left-handed Arthurs, who went 111 games without dropping serve, including qualifying matches, during his magical 1999 Wimbledon run, said he matched up well against clay-courters, including two-time French champion Kuerten.

The little-known Arthurs had a surprise Open victory last year as well, knocking out 13th seed Alex Corretja of Spain, runner-up in the 1998 French Open, in the first round.

"Clay-courters like Corretja and Kuerten stand a long way back, which helps me get in my first serves,'' noted Arthurs. "Also I like the style that they play. So I match up pretty good against some of these guys.'' Kuerten, who earlier this month won at Indianapolis for his first hard-court title and had trained his sights on a possible ascension to world number one, had opportunities against the go-for-broke Australian but failed to cash in.

He was one-for-nine on break point chances.

"I did not convert the breaks,'' lamented Kuerten. "Things didn't go my way when I needed them to.

"I should have won some of the break points I had. If I had taken three or four it would have made the difference. Sometimes I just missed the returns.

That's just the way it went. Sometimes you don't guess right. Sometimes you do guess right, but don't hit the shot.'' Arthurs, who had focused on doubles play until the last few seasons, advanced to a second-round match against compatriot Jason Stoltenberg, who beat Dutchman Jan Siemerink 6-0, 6-4, 6-1.

Seventh seed Thomas Enqvist of Sweden and 14th-seeded Nicolas Kiefer of Germany also advanced.

Enqvist, who won the Cincinnati hardcourt tourney earlier this month, overcame Argentine Mariano Puerta 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Kiefer defeated Italy's Andrea Gaudenzi 7-5, 6-4, 0-6, 6-4.

Former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek of the Netherlands and 1999 Open runner-up Todd Martin -- two of the more dangerous non-seeded men's players -- both advanced, as did Karim Alami, who won a Moroccan marathon against compatriot Younes El Aynaoui 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3.

Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia eliminated the often exciting, and erratic, Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia, 3-6, 6-0, 6-1, 6-0.

"I don't have fun any more to play,'' said the moody Ivanisevic, who at 28 is contemplating retirement. "I won the first set but I don't know how I did that. I was missing everything. It's not that I didn't try, it's just that I'm not happy playing.'' Earlier, the women's field lost their first seed when number 16 Julie Halard-Decugis fell to 93rd-ranked Miriam Oremans of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-4.

Defending champion Serena Williams, second-seeded Australian Open champion Lindsay Davenport and fourth-seeded French Open winner Mary Pierce were among the favourites advancing to the second round.

Williams, wearing a snazzy, purple tie-dyed dress with mesh cutouts, sent 19-year-old Tina Pisnik of Slovenia packing 6-3, 6-2.

Davenport came up one game short of a double-bagel with her 6-0, 6-1 trouncing of Spain's Gala Leon Garcia. Her next opponent, Belgian Kim Clijsters, got the whole job done by beating Spaniard Marta Marrero 6-0, 6-0.

Pierce reached the second round by beating big-hitting American Alexandra Stevenson 6-3, 6-4.

The victories by Davenport and Pierce at least temporarily dispelled worries over their fitness.

Davenport retired from the Canadian Open earlier this month because of a left foot injury. Pierce was playing her first match since Wimbledon because of an ailing right shoulder.

Painful loss: Bermuda resident Pat Rafter shows his frustration during his shock defeat last night.