Clijsters, Venus reach third round

NEW YORK, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Defending champion Kim Clijsters and two-time winner Venus Williams overcame searing conditions Wednesday to reach the third round of the U.S. Open.

The heat at the U.S. Tennis Center caused No. 10 seed Victoria Azarenka to collapse and she eventually had to be taken off the court in a wheelchair. Gisela Dulko won the match by forfeit and Azarenka was eventually diagnosed as having a slight concussion.

Clijsters, the No. 2 seed, spent only 56 minutes on the court while defeating Sally Peers 6-2, 6-1.

The third-seeded Williams, who has been out of action since Wimbledon due to a knee injury, eliminated Rebecca Marino 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. In the third round, Williams will meet Mandy Minella, who prevented an anticipated rematch between Williams and Tsvetana Pironkova.

Pironkova, who shocked Williams in this year's Wimbledon quarterfinals, lost to Minella 6-4, 6-0.

Azarenka said she fell and bumped her head while running sprints in a nearby gymnasium prior to her match and after being checked out by the medical staff was cleared to play. She was overcome by the heat while trailing 5-1 in the first set.

In other second-round action Wednesday, Samantha Stosur was a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Anastasia Rodionova and sixth-seeded Francesca Schiavone, this year's French Open champ, breezed by Maria Elena Camerin 6-2, 6-1.

Elena Dementieva reached the third round with a 6-3, 6-4 decision over Sybille Bammer and Shahar Peer defeated Pauline Parmentier 6-2, 6-3. No. 13 seed Marion Bartoli was surprised by Virginie Razzano 7-5, 6-4.