New York, Aug 31: Lindsey Davenport, James Blake, and Kim Clijsters all advanced at the US Open in New York. World number one Kim Clijsters inched towards her maiden grand slam crown at the U.S. Open on Friday (August 29) while Lindsay Davenport, Meghann Shaughnessy and James Blake led an American charge. Belgian Clijsters, seeded one at a slam for the first time, swept aside Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3 6-2 to reach the fourth round. Next up for the blonde baseliner is 17th seed Shaughnessy, who tripped up another Russian, 13th seed Vera Zvonareva 4-6 6-4 6-2. Third seed Davenport was also feeling good and made a mockery of her fitness concerns with a 6-0 6-2 victory over Hungarian Melinda Czink. Davenport, who took a pain-killing injection on her pinched toe nerve before the last grand slam of the year, looked increasingly confident in her movement and flexibility throughout her canter. The result -- coming after two previous straight sets wins for the loss of seven games -- also did wonders for her confidence. In the fourth round she will meet Russian 19th seed Nadia Petrova who overwhelmed 14th seed Amanda Coetzer of South Africa 6-0 6-1.


Blake ousted Armenia's Sargis Sargsian 6-3 6-4 4-6 7-6 in the men's second round. He will next play Wimbledon champion Roger Federer of Switzerland who beat Frenchman Jean-Rene Lisnard 6-1 6-2 6-0 to reach the third round.

In other action, Belgian Xavier Malisse beat Agustin Calleri 6-2 6-7 6-3 3-6 6-3 and Argentine David Nalbandian overcame Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 5-7 6-3 6-1 4-6 7-6 (7-3).


Results of men's singles second round matches at the U.S. Open tennis championships on Friday (prefix number denotes seeding): 10-Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) beat Jan-Michael Gambill (U.S.) 6-4 6-4 6-4 8-Rainer Schuettler (Germany) beat Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) 6-1 7-5 2-6 6-4 22-Younes El Aynaoui (Morocco) beat Rafael Nadal (Spain) 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 7-6 (8-6) Flavio Saretta (Brazil) beat Nicolas Lapentti (Ecuador) 6-2 6-4 6-0 Alberto Martin (Spain) beat 25-Albert Costa (Spain) 6-3 6-3 3-6 6-2 Nicolas Massu (Chile) beat Thomas Enqvist (Sweden) 6-3 6-2 7-5 2-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Jean-Rene Lisnard (France) 6-1 6-2 6-0 Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) beat Hicham Arazi (Morocco) 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (8-6) 12-Sjeng Schalken (Netherlands) beat Lars Burgsmueller (Germany) 4-6 2-6 6-2 6-2 6-0 James Blake (U.S.) beat Sargis Sargsian (Armenia) 6-3 6-4 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 13-David Nalbandian (Argentina) beat Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 5-7 6-3 6-1 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 20-Mark Philippoussis (Australia) beat Anthony Dupuis (France) 6-2 6-3 6-4 Xavier Malisse (Belgium) beat 19-Agustin Calleri (Argentina) 6-2 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 3-6 6-3 Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) beat John van Lottum (Netherlands) 6-4 3-6 6-3 5-7 6-2 Results of women's third round singles matches: Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) beat 9-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 6-2 6-4 24-Paola Suarez (Argentina) beat Alicia Molik (Australia) 6-4 4-6 6-2 17-Meghann Shaughnessy (U.S.) beat 13-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 4-6 6-4 6-2 5-Amelie Mauresmo (France) beat Maria Kirilenko (Russia) 6-4 6-2 1-Kim Clijsters (Belgium) beat Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 6-3 6-2 Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) beat Fabiola Zuluaga (Colombia) 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 19-Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat 14-Amanda Coetzer (South Africa) 6-0 6-1 3-Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) beat Melinda Czink (Hungary) 6-0 6-2


Bureau Report