Former world number one Martina Hingis relied on her bag of tricks while Svetlana Kuznetsova came up with a power-packed performance as both the former champions breezed into the third round of the US Open tennis tournament.
Hingis was all finesse as she mowed down unheralded Pauline Parmentier 6-2, 7-5, while Kuznetsova overcame a dropped set before blasting past Camille Pin 6-3, 4-6, 6-0.
Hingis now takes on Belarusian teen Victoria Azarenka in the third round, while Kuznetsova locks horn with 31 seeded Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues.
Elated with her show, Hingis, who won the title a decade ago, said
You try to mix it up, to give the opponent a different look every time. I think the crowd enjoyed it, too.
Kuznetsova, on the other hand, was not happy to have conceded a set and said
It’s not good second set, for sure. Well, when it happened, it happened. It was too late to change something.
So I said, ‘Nothing you can change.’ So from that moment I just started to turn it on and just play the right shots.
The 2004 champion needed just 23 minutes as she blanked her opponent in the third set to wrap up the match in style.
Former men’s champion and fifth seed Andy Roddick also advanced when Argentine Jose Acasuso retired with knee injury when the American was leading 4-6 6-1 6-2.
Meanwhile, 13th seed Richard Gasquet has pulled out of the tournament citing fever and sore throat.
