Sharapova in round three

Former winner through in straight sets

Last updated: 3rd September 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Sharapova in round three

Sharapova: straight sets winner

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Former champion Maria Sharapova reached the third round of the US Open on Thursday following an easy 6-1 6-2 victory against Iveta Benesova.

The Russian, winner at Flushing Meadows in 2006, did not face a single break point in her demolition of the 68th-ranked Czech, who made 26 unforced errors.

Sharapova in contrast hit 16 winners, including three aces. Even so, she said she needed a little time to adjust to the gusty winds prevailing in the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"I knew during warm-up it was a little gusty and I was playing a lefty and hadn't played one in a while so I knew it was going to be a little bit tricky," the 14th seed said.

Not that Sharapova let it show: the 23-year-old breaking Benesova, 27, in the second game of the first set.

Standing 18cm taller than her opponent, the 6ft 2in Sharapova hit much harder than her opponent as sealed the win and set up a third-round meeting with American teenager Beatrice Capra, who had earlier knocked out 18th seed Aravane Rezai of France.

"The great thing about the US Open is to see young Americans doing well," Sharapova added.

"Not that I consider myself old as a 23-year-old (but) it's so great to see young players coming up and playing good tennis."

Another seed departed at the second-round stage as number nine Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland lost to China's Peng Shuai 2-6 6-1 6-4.

However, 23rd seed Maria Kirilenko of Russia beat Austria's Yvonne Meusburger 4-6 7-5 6-0.