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NEW YORK - A few years ago, this would have been rote. A young player, not even in the top 50, wouldn't have been given an outside chance against a spitfire like Lleyton Hewitt.

And yet, there was Hyung-Taik Lee Thursday in the second round. He took the first set from the No. 6 seed and there was no surprise, only the unfamiliar sense that an upset was possible.

Hewitt had to fight in a way he usually reserves for later rounds before the 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 win over Lee in Louis Armstrong Stadium. In the fourth set, the two were on serve at 4-4 before Hewitt broke Lee. Serving for the match, the game went to deuce seven times and Hewitt faced four break points before sewing it up.

"The best game of the match was obviously the last game," Hewitt said. I would have liked to have went out a little bit easier but, you know, still happy to get through."

A slew of lower-seeded players didn't get through.

No. 22 Jelena Dokic was upset by unseeded Mary Pierce 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), and French Open runner-up Martin Verkerk was ousted by Todd Martin 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (9).

Also sent packing for the men in Thursday's second round were No. 23 Wayne Ferreira, No. 24-seeded Mardy Fish and No. 31 Arnaud Clement. No. 20 Silvia Farina Elia, No. 23 Nathalie Dechy, No. 30 Magui Serna, No. 32 Marie-Gaianeh Mikaelian and No. 33 Katarina Srebotnik were ousted on the women's side, and No. 23 Nathalie Dechy withdrew because of an injury.

Seeded players advancing included No. 2 Justine Henin-Hardenne, No. 6 Jennifer Capriati, No. 7 Anastasia Myskina and No. 11 Elena Dementieva, among the women, and No. 3 Juan Carlos Ferrero, No. 5 Guillermo Coria, No. 11 Paradorn Srichaphan and No. 15 Fernando Gonzalez in the men's draw.

At a glanceHighlights of Thursday's play at the U.S. Open:

Men's seeded winners: No. 1 Andre Agassi, No. 3 Juan Carlos Ferrero, No. 5 Guillermo Coria, No. 6 Lleyton Hewitt, No. 11 Paradorn Srichaphan, No. 15 Fernando Gonzalez, No. 28 Yevgeny Kafelnikov, No. 33 Juan Ignacio Chela.

Men's seeded losers: No. 16 Martin Verkerk, No. 24 Mardy Fish.

Women's seeded winners: No. 2 Justine Henin-Hardenne, No. 6 Jennifer Capriati, No. 7 Anastasia Myskina, No. 11 Elena Dementieva, No. 15 Ai Sugiyama, No. 29 Francesca Schiavone.

Women's seeded losers: No. 20 Silvia Farina Elia, No. 22 Jelena Dokic, No. 30 Magui Serna, No. 32 Marie-Gaianeh Mikaelian.

On TV: USA, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (live), 7 p.m.-11 p.m. (live); CBS, 12:37 a.m.-1:07 a.m. (highlights)