PHOTO OF THE DAY

A flag that flew over the World Financial Center in lower Manhattan flies above Arthur Ashe Stadium as fireworks explode at the start of the evening session on the opening day of the US Open.

GRAND SLAM SNIPPETS

• The "Salute to Heroes'' ceremony included a procession with a U.S. flag recovered from the World Financial Center and raised by Marines in Afghanistan. The flag will fly over Arthur Ashe Stadium for the tournament's two weeks. • Serena Williams' next opponent is Dinara Safina, the 16-year-old sister of 2000 Open champion Marat Safin. • U.S. women went 3-11 Monday, with former Wimbledon semifinalist Alexandra Stevenson among the losers.

Another tough day
Even Anna Kournikova thought it was ugly.

Kournikova was booed by fans hoping for autographs when she quickly left the court after committing a whopping 40 unforced errors -- nearly one per minute -- in a 6-3, 6-0 loss to Angelique Widjaja of Indonesia. Widjaja won without the benefit of a single forehand or backhand winner.

"Definitely, I don't think it was a pretty match for anyone -- especially me," Kournikova said afterward.

"I didn't play well,'' Kournikova said. "It was a very bad match for me. I played totally the wrong way. I was going for winners after the second shot. I just was not in the match.''

Kournikova missed last year's tournament because of injury and was looking forward to her return.

"It was fun coming back, being here again,'' she said. "I didn't give myself a good show. I didn't expect it to be this way. I made a million mistakes. I set up the point and when I had to put it away, I was missing it. I didn't expect it to be that easy for her. I felt like I tried everything and nothing was going my way. It's not like I play like I played today all the time.''

One of the most photographed women in the world, Kournikova, who has yet to win a tournament, was asked if she was afraid of losing endorsements or of having photographers stop following her.

"Oh, good," she said. "Good if they don't show up anymore."

Bites from the Big Apple
Honorable evening: The attack on the World Trade Center occurred less than 48 hours after last year's U.S. Open ended, and Monday night's opening ceremony was planned as a tribute to the heroes of that disaster.

Ending a six-year City Hall boycott, Mayor Michael Bloomberg agreed to address the opening-night crowd.

Mayor Rudolph Giuliani stopped attending the tournament in 1996 because he opposed a provision in the U.S. Tennis Association's 99-year lease negotiated by his tennis-loving predecessor, David Dinkins.

"This is always a terrific time in New York City with the last Grand Slam of the tennis season kicking off in Flushing, Queens,'' Bloomberg said.

"This year's Open is special, It is another indication that our city is well on its way to recovery from the tragedy of Sept. 11.

"Welcome to New York City and welcome to the U.S. Open.''

Bloomberg's speech was part of a patriotic ceremony featuring entertainers Tony Bennett, Queen Latifah and Judd Hirsch. Four-time Open champions John McEnroe and Billie Jean King also participated in the ceremony.

A flag recovered from the World Financial Center and subsequently raised by U.S. Marines in Kandahar, Afghanistan, was to fly over Arthur Ashe Stadium during the "Salute to Heroes.''

The USTA also planned nightly tributes recalling the trade center attack between matches throughout the two-week tournament.

OVERHEARD
CORINA MORARIU On losing: "But I got to cut myself some slack. This is my second match in a year and a half and these girls have been playing every week ... and I spent the majority of that time in a hospital bed."				MICHAEL CHANG Known for chasing balls on whether he ran track: "No, because ironically I hate running. I really don't like long distance running. I'll do some sprints."				SERENA WILLIAMS On her black, Lycra leather-look outfit: "It kind of really sticks to what type of shape you have. If you don't have a decent shape, this isn't the best outfit to have."