Clijsters too hot for Ana

Kim Clijsters is into the quarter-finals of the US Open after a straight-sets demolition of Ana Ivanovic.

The second seed and defending champion took just 59 minutes to book her place in the second week, winning 6-2 6-1 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Ivanovic came into the match resembling the player who won the French Open in 2008, but the Serbian could not live with the power and movement of Clijsters on Sunday.

"At the beginning you have to settle down with the wind and adjust, especially with the serve, and then I felt I started moving forward better and dictating the points better and was defending pretty good as well," said the Belgian, who has dropped just 14 games in four matches so far.

"I've always played really good matches in America. I enjoy playing on hard courts and you automatically do well in places where you feel good and have done well before, so the US Open is a special tournament for me."

Clijsters, who extended her winning streak at Flushing Meadows to 18 matches, awaits the winner of the match between fifth seed Sam Stosur and 12th seed Elena Dementieva for a place in the semi-finals.

Tight

Former world number one Ivanovic admitted nerves had got to her after she won just three games against the defending champion Clijsters.

"Besides this match today, I think I played really well," said the 22-year-old.

"I probably played better than I expected, considering the circumstances and how much I practised beforehand.

"I was feeling really good in the court and just swinging through, hitting my favourite shots again. Today I was just a little bit slow. I think nerves crept in.

"I was on the big stage again - I hadn't had that feeling for a long time. Lots of emotions came back and I felt just a little slow and out of it.

"I had my opportunities in the beginning that I didn't convert, so that was a little bit disappointing, but she played well."