Clijsters through to third round
September 04, 2010 11:54:08 UK
Defending champion Kim Clijsters won 12 games in a row to storm into the third round of the US Open with a 6-3 6-0 victory over Petra Kvitova.
Kvitova, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals this year but then lost in the first round of her next five tournaments, raced into a 3-0 lead with two breaks of serve.
That meant the Czech left-hander had already won more games than during her previous meeting with Clijsters - a 6-1 6-1 defeat in Miami this year - but that was as good as it got for the 27th seed.
After three double faults in the third game, Clijsters got to grips with her serve in the windy conditions and won the next 12 games in a row to seal victory before the forecast rain arrived in New York.
"I am happy to have my match done before the storm comes, if it does come," she said, in reference to the effects of Hurricane Earl on the east coast of the United States.
Kim Clijsters is currently 2.75 to continue her winning form and take the 2010 US Open title outright.
Russia's Elena Dementieva had earlier benefited from a similar collapse from her opponent Daniela Hantuchova.
Dementieva led 2-0 in the opening set before losing five games in a row and being forced to save three set points on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
But from 5-2 down the 12th seed then won 11 of the next 13 games to complete a 7-5 6-2 win in one hour and 31 minutes to set up a last-16 clash with fifth seed Samantha Stosur, the French Open finalist beating Italy's Sara Errani 6-2 6-3.
"I did not want to lose that first set, I was just trying to fight for every point and that was the key for the match," said Dementieva, who dropped out of the world's top 10 for the first time in more than three years in August.
"After that I felt so much more confident in the second set and played a more aggressive game."
US Open 2010 - Women's upcoming third round matches
Jelena Jankovic 1.72 v Kaia Kanepi 2.00
Beatrice Capra 13.00 v Maria Sharapova 1.015
Caroline Wozniacki 1.02 v Yung-Jan Chan 12.00
Patty Schnyder 3.00 v Yanina Wickmayer 1.36
Shuai Peng 2.75 v Andrea Petkovic 1.40
Lourdes Dominguez Lino 3.50 v Dominika Cibulkova 1.28
Alexandra Dulgheru 6.00 v Vera Zvonareva 1.11
Svetlana Kuznetsova 1.40 v Maria Kirilenko 2.75
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