Sania Mirza during her match against Maria Elena Camerin on Wednesday

New York: American world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport charged into the third round of the US Open with a 6-1, 6-1 hammering of French qualifier Pauline Parmentier on Thursday.

The second-seeded Davenport overpowered the 19-year-old Parmentier, slugging 21 winners and six aces in the 45-minute match.

Seventh seed Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium shut out Spaniard Maria Sanchez Lorenzo 6-3, 6-4. Russian Elena Likhovtseva, the 19th seed, whipped Magdalena Maleeva 6-2, 6-1.

In early men action on Day V, 19th seed Tommy Robredo of Spain former French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, 6-2.

Wednesday’s night session saw Spanish second seed Rafael Nadal withstand the determined challenge of a fellow-teenager to keep his championship bid intact.

American 18-year-old Scoville Jenkins, ranked 350 places below Nadal and playing only his third Grand Slam match, forced the fist-pumping French Open champion to fight surprisingly hard for a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 second-round victory.

“It was very difficult, he is a very good player,” said the 19-year-old world No. 2 after reaching the third round at Flushing Meadow.

The blustery remnants of Hurricane Katrina proved more troublesome than any on-court opponent for Maria Sharapova and other title contenders.

Women’s top seed Sharapova, fourth seed Kim Clijsters and the Williams sisters Venus and Serena were all unruffled, sweeping into round three without the loss of a single set.

Men’s third seed Lleyton Hewitt hurried through to the second round with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 victory over former French Open champion Albert Costa.Gusts of up to 65kmph turned the ball sideways on occasions at Flushing Meadow but for 18-year-old Russian Sharapova, it was a cakewalk. She adapted quickly to thrash Madagascan opponent Dally Randriantefy 6-1, 6-0.

Hewitt served superbly in his first match at the Open to outplay Spaniard Costa from start to finish on Arthur Ashe Court.

The Australian, who lost last year’s final to Roger Federer, wrapped up victory over the world number 104 in 80 minutes with a crunching backhand service return winner. “It was extremely tough conditions,” Hewitt said.

Following the late withdrawal through injury of Marat Safin and the exit of British 12th seed Tim Henman on Tuesday, Slovakian 15th seed Dominik Hrbaty is the highest seed left in Hewitt’s quarter of the draw.

The 2001 champion could, however, face top seed Federer in the semi-finals.

Clijsters initially found the weather and Colombian opponent Fabiola Zuluaga more difficult to cope with before earning a 7-5, 6-0 second-round win.The Belgian threw away a 4-1 lead to trail 5-4 in the first set.

Clijsters recovered her rhythm to break to love at 5-5 and she romped through the second set.Wimbledon champion Venus Williams beat Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-1, 6-3 to move a step closer to a possible fourth round showdown with younger sister Serena, like her, a two-time former champion at Flushing Meadow.

Eighth seed Serena was not at her best but did not need to be to beat Colombia’s Catalina Castano 6-2, 6-2.Russia’s Nadia Petrova, seeded nine, also eased through 6-2, 6-0 against Japan’s Aiko Nakamura. In the men’s draw Australian Mark Philippoussis’ disappointing year continued in depressing fashion.

The 1998 US Open runner-up lost 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 to Slovakia’s Karol Kucera in the first round.

(REUTERS)