NEW YORK, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and three-time champion Serena Williams had an easy time Thursday in reaching the third round of the U.S. Open.
Victoria Azarenka and Francesca Schiavone, the fourth and seventh seeded players in this event, also advanced on a breezy day at the final grand slam event of the year.
Wozniacki, who recently suffered opening-round losses in back-to-back tournaments, stormed past Arantxa Rus 6-2, 6-0 on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court. Williams, the winner of 14 consecutive matches after recovering from an illness that cost her much of the season, was a 6-0, 6-1 winner over Michaella Krajicek.
Wozniacki will next meet Vania King, who had no trouble dismissing 29th seed Jarmila Gajdosova 6-2, 6-0. Williams will face Azarenka in the third round in what could be one of the pivotal matches of the tournament.
Azarenka moved on by defeating Gisela Dulko 6-4, 6-3. Because of her inactivity this year, Williams is seeded only 28th in this tournament.
Schiavone, who won the French Open last year for her first and only major crown, took the court early in the day and quickly eliminated Mirjana Lucic 6-1, 6-1.
The biggest surprise of the day in the women's draw came when Sloan Stephens posted a solid 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) win over No. 23 seed Shahar Peer. Stephens will meet 16th seeded Ana Ivanovic, who advanced in a walkover when Petra Cetkovska withdrew from the tourney.
Also moving on Thursday were 15th-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, No. 18 Roberta Vinci, No. 11 Jelena Jankovic and No. 17 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
