Serena Eases Past Martinez Sanchez to Reach Third Round

Agnieszka Radwanska, Maria Kirilenko, and Ana Ivanovic also won.

By Chris Oddo

(August 30, 2012)--Three-time US Open champion Serena Williams won her 60th career US Open match in fine fashion today, defeating the serving and volleying Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-2, 6-4.

The fourteen-time Grand Slam champion and fourth seed in New York is hoping to join an elite group of five players who have won the US Open four times or more (Court, King, Evert, Navratilova, Graf) and will face Russian Ekaterina Makarova in the third round this weekend.

"It was a good match for me today, because I played a lefty," serena said of her upcoming tilt with the 42nd-ranked Russian. "She jump-started my career this year, and I look forward to playing her again."

Makarova defeated Williams in the fourth round of this year’s Australian Open, and has split two career matchew with Williams.

Williams hammered thirteen winners to just two for Martinez Sanchez in the first set, saving all four break points she faced and converting on both of hers.

In the second set, Williams and Martinez Sanchez traded breaks in the early going and headed down the stretch on serve.

After an easy Williams hold to lead 5-4, the 30-year-old broke the Spaniard to 15 to seal the match in one hour and 22 minutes.

After the match in a post-match interview, Darren Cahill broke the news of Andy Roddick's retirement. Serena, who claimed to already know of Roddick's intentions, isn't planning on following Roddick's lead. "I have so much excitement, I'm not retiring just for the record," she said. "You haven't seen the last of me yet."

Stephens Grinds out a Victory over Qualifier Malek

Winning pretty is usually Sloane Stephen's thing, but today, she had to win ugly against the quirky German qualifier, who kept the 19-year-old off balance with a steady diet of slice, moonballs and dropshots for the better part of the first two sets.

But Stephens, who was visibly off-kilter and unable to find the range on her normally reliable forehand, finally wrestled momentum in the match from Malek when she held serve after a 10-deuce, 14-plus-minute service game to even the second set at 3-all. From that point on the World No. 44 Stephens was off and running.

After a commanding performance in the third set, a more relaxed Stephens capped of her shaky, 47 winner and 62 unforced error performance with a sizzling winner down the line to finally earn her place in the third round.

Stephens, who has never been beyond the third round in New York, will face Ana Ivanovic for a spot in the last 16.

Radwanska Storms back to Eliminate Pesky Suarez Navarro

Second-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska found herself on the brink of elimination on Grandstand today against Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, down a set and a break. But the World No. 2 kept her chances of becoming No. 1 at the conclusion of the US Open alive by winning the last eleven games of the match.

Radwanska’s 50th win of the season places her in the third round where she will face 2008 US Open finalist Jelena Jankovic.

Radwanska, who has been nursing a sore shoulder this summer, won all but eight points in the decider.

Ivanovic Rolls Past Arvidsson

12th-seeded Ana Ivanovic continued her quest to reach her first career US Open quarterfinal with a convincing 6-3, 6-2 victory over Sweden's Sofia Arvidsson. In a stunning display of power, Ivanovic struck 39 winners to just 7 for her opponent.

Ivanovic, who hadn't played a hard court match since being double-bageled by Roberta Vinci in Montreal, has now reached the US Open's third round for a fifth time.

Still, the US Open is the only slam in which the former No. 1 has yet to book a quarterfinal appearance. Ivanovic will play the Sloane Stephens in the third round.

Kirilenko, Cibulkova Advance

Maria Kirilenko has quietly become the second-highest-ranked Russian and is playing at a career-high ranking of No. 12 this week at the US Open.

Even better news for the 25-year-old is that she is playing like she believes she can be a real factor in the women's draw.

Kirilenko kept a tidy scoresheet today (12 winners and 12 unforced errors) en route to a 6-3, 6-2 victory over 33-year-old Greta Arn. Kirilenko, who is making her 36th Grand Slam main draw appearance, is coming off a career-best Grand Slam result at Wimbledon where she reached the quarterfinals.

She'll face Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic in round three. Hlavackova got by Galina Voskoboeva in three sets in second round play today.

13th-seeded Dominika Cibulkova, a quarterfinalist at the US Open in 2010, also advanced today with a 7-6(3), 7-6(3) victory over 20-year-old Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia.

Cibulkova, 23 and currently ranked No. 14 in the world, will face Roberta Vinci in the third round. Vinci won a three-setter over Yaroslava Shvedova on Thursday.

Elsewhere: Ekaterina Makarova of Russia defeated compatriot Elena Vesnina 6-3, 6-4...Tsvetana Pironkova defeated Ayumi Morita 7-5, 6-2...Silvia Soler-Espinosa defeated Irina-Camelia Begu 6-4, 7-6(5)...Andrea Hlavackova defeated Galina Voskoboeva 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-3.

(Photo Credit: Andy Kentla)