NEW YORK, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Daniela Hantuchova beat former No. 1 Dinara Safina 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the U.S. Open on Monday.

Hantuchova, the number 24 seed, had lost to the unseeded Safina in the second round at New Haven last week. The 27-year-old from Slovakia reached the fourth round at Flushing Meadows last year.

Safina missed almost three months this year with a back injury and has slipped to 50th in the world rankings. She was the top seed at last year's U.S. Open, but lost in the third round.