Capriati cruises into third round

Jennifer Capriati experienced little difficulty reaching the third round of the US Open at Flushing Meadows as she overpowered Martina Sucha of the Slovak Republic 6-1 6-1.

Capriati, who has lost only three games through two rounds, won an astonishing 91 per cent of points when her first serve went in.

The sixth seed entered the draw having won last week’s tournament in New Haven, which snapped a title drought dating back to the 2002 Australian Open.

“I have to just concentrate on my own game, worry about my own game,” Capriati said. “Yeah, when I’m feeling well, everything starts to get rolling for me.

“I just get better and better.”

Mary Pierce, a double Grand Slam winner, continued her comeback from a string of injuries by battling to a 6-2 6-7 (5/7) 7-6 (7/5) victory over 22nd seed Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia.

It appeared Pierce was well on her way to a straight-sets victory as she breezed through the opening set in 22 minutes and served for the match at 5-4 in the second.

But Dokic broke Pierce to level the set and eventually won the tie-breaker to force a decider.

Dokic took control and raced to a 5-1 lead in the third set but was unable to close out the match as she dropped two straight service games and four overall.

“I just tried to stay calm and told myself to just fight,” Pierce said of her third-set rally. “My legs kind of weren’t there in the third set, so I just said, ‘Just start going for your shots‘.

“You never know what can happen in tennis.”

Second seed and reigning French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne wasted no time in moving into the third round, beating 25-year-old Croatian Silvija Talaja 6-1 6-2.

Russia‘s Elena Dementieva, the 11th seed, rallied from a set down to beat Tatiana Perebiynis of Ukraine 5-7 6-4 6-0.

And 15th seed Ai Sugiyama of Japan also rallied for a 1-6 6-3 6-3 win over Virginie Razzano of France.

Seventh seed Anastasia Myskina of Russia was taken all the way before edging out Italy’s Antonella Serra Zanetti 6-2 2-6 7-6 (7/6) and 29th seed Francesca Schavone of Italy beat Spain’s Arantxa Parra 6-4 6-3.

But four other seeded women made second-round exits.

Australia’s Nicole Pratt eliminated 20th seed Silvia Farina Elia of Italy 7-6 (7/5) 4-6 6-1, Maria Sanchez Lorenzo knocked out number 30 Magui Serna 7-5 6-1 in an all-Spanish battle and Saori Obata of Japan defeated 32nd seed Marie-Gaianeh Mikaelian of Switzerland 7-5 6-4.

Finally, Tina Pisnik crushed 33rd-seeded Katarina Srebotnik 7-5 6-0 in an all-Slovenian clash.

France‘s Nathalie Dechy, the 23rd seed, withdrew before her match with American Amy Frazier due to an injury.