NEW YORK: The third-seeded Maria Sharapova pulverised French veteran Emilie Loit of France 6-0, 6-1 to cruise into the third round of the U.S. Open here on Thursday.

Seven-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams rallied to win a grudge match against 17th seeded Daniela Hantuchova 7-5, 6-3, while the top-seeded Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo made short work of American Meghann Shaughnessy 6-4, 6-3.

However, five-time Grand Slam winner Martina Hingis was ousted 6-2, 6-4 by unseeded Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano and suffered her quickest ever exit at the Open.

In eight previous tilts at Flushing Meadows, the worst showing for the 25-year-old Swiss, who won the 1997 title, were two fourth round results.

Erratic

The eighth-seeded Hingis, returning to competition this season after a three-year absence, struggled with her serve, losing six successive service games at one point, and was erratic with her usually reliable groundstrokes. Hingis said her showing was a combination of being worn out after her three-set victory over China's Peng Shuai on Wednesday and Razzano's high level of play.

``I think after yesterday (Wednesday) I didn't have much more to give,'' Hingis said after the 64-minute defeat. ``I was a little flat and tired mentally. I just don't know. I just wasn't feeling well. It wasn't my day."

In contrast, the 19-year-old Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion and an Open semifinalist last year, took only 52 minutes to dispatch the 27-year-old Loit, who seemed to have no weapons to threaten the Russian.

Loit was credited with just one winner in the second round match, coming on a forehand that crawled over the net cord to save a match point in the final game.

The 67th-ranked Loit was one of the last players to leave the Tennis Center on Wednesday night after staying late to finish her third-set tiebreaker against compatriot Camille Pin.

She looked lost from the start against Sharapova, who made only two unforced errors in the opening set.

The one sour note for Sharapova was her inconsistent serving, as she matched the seven aces she registered with seven double faults, including five in the only game she lost after winning the first 10 games of the match.

Sharapova will now meet compatriot Elena Likhovtseva, the 32nd seed, who beat Australian Nicole Pratt 6-3, 6-2.

Fit and fine

The Russian teenager said she felt fit and confident, a combination she said was key to making a Grand Slam title run. ``I haven't really come into a tournament, until now, feeling great,'' Sharapova said.

``I've either had an injury coming in or I haven't had enough matches. This time I really feel like I'm coming in with confidence.

``I did play a lot of matches a couple of weeks ago. I feel healthy. I've realised, even though I haven't had a long career, that being healthy is probably the most important thing."

Lindsay Davenport showed no signs of the shoulder and arm problems she brought to the U.S. Open, beating Jelena Kostanic of Croatia 6-0, 6-0.

It was the first `double bagel', at the U.S. Open since 2002, when Venus Williams beat Mirjana Lucic by that score in the first round.

Flattering to deceive

Early on Thursday, Sania Mirza flattered to deceive once again as she bowed out in the second round, losing to Fransesca Schiavone of Italy. Much like her Wimbledon defeat against Elena Dementieva, Sania started strongly before fading out 7-5, 1-6, 2-6 to the 14th seed.

If anything, the Italian proved tougher than Dementieva as she tamed the Indian in two hours and 20 minutes.

The first set was a seesaw battle that saw Schiavone rally from 1-4 down to go 5-4 up. But Sania held her nerve to make it 5-5 and broke her opponent in the next game after earning three breakpoints. The Indian appeared to be on a roll as she garnered three set points and won the set in style.

But the second set turned out to be a disaster. Schiavone broke Sania thrice and though the latter got one break back, 14 unforced errors, including three double faults, undermined her chances.

Failing to convert

In the second game of the decider, Sania had five breakpoints but could take none of it.

That was symbolic of the Indian's play as she converted only four of the 15 breakpoints that came her way.

However, unfazed by her early exit in singles, Sania and her South African partner Liezel Huber demolished the American pair of Neha Uberoi and Angel Haynes 6-4, 6-0 in the opening round of the doubles event.

They now take on the French-Spanish pair of Stephanie Cohen-Aloro and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in the next round.

Bhupathi-Suarez out

In mixed doubles, Anastassia Rodionova (Russia) and Kevin Ullyett (Zimbabwe) defeated the Indian-Argentine combination of Mahesh Bhupathi and Paola Suarez 4-6, 6-1, 10-8. — Agencies

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