NEW YORK – World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka advanced to the third round of the US Open Wednesday by defeating Belgian qualifier Kirsten Flipkens 6-2, 6-2 in only 65 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Reigning Australian Open champion Azarenka, who has reached the last eight in every Grand Slam event except the US Open, will next face Chinese 28th seed Zheng Jie, who beat Slovakian qualifier Magdalena Rybarikova 6-3, 6-1. The 23-year-old from Belarus, whose 26-match win streak to begin the season was the best women's start since 1997, seeks her 13th career title and fifth trophy of the year on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts. Trying to break a trend that has seen women's top seeds fail to take titles at the past seven Grand Slams, Azarenka could be dethroned from the top ranking by Agnieszka Radwanska or Maria Sharapova if she fails to make the final. Russian 19th seed Nadia Petrova reached the third round in only 57 minutes with a 6-1, 6-1 triumph over Romania's Simona Halep. Next for Petrova will be either Czech 15th seed Lucie Safarova or Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak. And US wildcard Mallory Burdette booked her place in the third round with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Czech Lucie Hradecka. She could face Sharapova next. On Tuesday, defending champion Novak Djokovic and triple women's winner Serena Williams stormed into the second round on a breezy and humid night. World No. 2 Djokovic needed just 73 minutes to finish off an embarrassingly one-sided 6-1, 6-0, 6-1 mauling of hapless Italian Paolo Lorenzi. Williams, the champion in 1999, 2002 and 2008, and twice a runner-up, was just as ruthless in the concluding match on Arthur Ashe Stadium, sweeping past US compatriot Coco Vandeweghe 6-1, 6-1. While Djokovic and Williams were enjoying evening strolls, next door on Louis Armstrong court, former world No. 1 and 2009 runner-up Caroline Wozniacki, without a title this year, was crashing to a painful first-round loss. The Danish eighth seed, watched by golfing superstar boyfriend Rory McIlroy, was beaten by World No. 96 Irina-Camelia Begu 6-2, 6-2. Wozniacki came into the match with her knee heavily strapped, having picked up an injury at New Haven last week, and she needed more treatment on Tuesday before slipping to defeat. Andy Roddick eased past compatriot and qualifier Rhyne Williams, the World No. 289. His comfortable 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win was a gentle way to start his 13th successive US Open appearance, which also comes just two days before his 30th birthday. Fellow US veteran Venus Williams, the 2000 and 2001 winner, also won an all-American match-up, beating wildcard Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-3, 6-1. French fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a quarterfinalist in 2011, advanced to the second round by defeating Slovakian qualifier Karol Beck 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (7/2). There were also wins for Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych, who beat Belgium's David Goffin 7-5, 6-3, 6-3, and Spanish 11th seed Nicolas Almagro, who saw off Czech veteran Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4. — Agencies
