Notes and quotes from the US Open

Martina Navratilova's first U.S. Open in five years hasn't exactly been a string of easy matches.

Martina Navratilova's first U.S. Open in five years hasn't exactly been a string of easy matches.

The left-hander teamed with Rick Leach on Friday night to get past Alexandra Stevenson and Brian MacPhie 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2) in a first-round mixed doubles encounter.

On Thursday, Navratilova and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario won their first-round women's doubles match, outlasting Sabine Appelmans and Linda Wild 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (3).

Navratilova, inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in July, has ended her five-year retirement to play doubles in selected tournaments.

On Saturday, Navratilova and Sanchez-Vicario are scheduled to play Jennifer Capriati and Anna Kournikova in Arthur Ashe Stadium. That will make Navratilova the only player to have played in the main stadium at the West Side Tennis Club, Louis Armstrong Stadium and Arthur Ashe Stadium.

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BATTER UP

Monica Seles went to Yankee Stadium on Friday where she took batting practice with Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter and the rest of the home team before its game with the Minnesota Twins.

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SISTERS

Venus and Serena Williams are the eighth sister combination to compete in the main draw of the U.S. Open during the professional era.

The others were Chris and Jeannie Evert, Laurie and Robin Tenney, Marcie and Maureen (Peanut) Louie, Barbara and Kathy Jordan, Suzy and Andrea Jaeger, Anne and Elizabeth Minter, and Manuela, Katerina and Magdalena Maleeva.

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SCHOLARSHIPS

Six people whose lives have been affected by brain tumors have been awarded college scholarships from the Tim and Tom Gullikson Foundation Scholarship Program.

The foundation was started in 1995 by the Gullikson twins, Tim and Tom, after Tim was diagnosed with brain tumors.

Tennis star Corina Morariu donated the seed money for the program, which was augmented by a grant from Pete Sampras, a board member of the foundation.

The scholarships are given to brain tumor patients, their survivors or children of brain tumor patients and survivors.

Tim Gullikson coached Sampras.