September 01, 2007	Saturday	Sha’aban 18, 1428

NEW YORK, Aug 31: Maria Sharapova needed only 51 minutes to overwhelm Australian Casey Dellacqua in the second round of the US Open on Thursday, serving notice that she is focused, in-form and determined to defend her title.

The second-seeded Sharapova blasted 30 winners while yielding only two to her opponent during a 6-1, 6-0 rout under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Sharapova is one of 10 Russian women in the third round.

Most of the favourites breezed through on a sunny day and a cool evening at the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.

On the men’s side, fifth seed Andy Roddick celebrated his 25th birthday with a second-round victory over Argentine Jose Acasuso, who retired with a knee injury at the end of the third set.

Roddick, the 2003 champion, said he was just glad to advance.

The American was leading 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 when Acasuso left the court.

Other winners included fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, No 6 American James Blake, ninth seed Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic and Britan’s No 19 Andy Murray.

Richard Gasquet was the first casualty of the day when the French 13th seed pulled out with a fever. The withdrawal handed American wildcard Donald Young a walkover into the third round.

On the women’s side, 16th seed Martina Hingis sliced, lobbed and chipped her way to a 6-2, 7-5 win over Pauline Parmentier of France while fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova employed power tennis in a 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 victory over Camille Pin.

Sharapova’s competition in the tournament will certainly get stronger but the Russian was particularly sharp against a bewildered Dellacqua.

Sharapova landed 78 percent of her first serves and won 52 of the match’s 75 points. She has now lost two games in two matches.

Thursday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

Second round: 6-James Blake (US) beat Fabrice Santoro (France) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4; Stefan Koubek (Austria) beat Michael Llodra (France) 6-1, 6-3, 6-3; 10-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat Philipp Petzschner (Germany) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5; Thomas Johansson (Sweden) beat Arnaud Clement (France) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (9-11), 7-6 (7-1); 4-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) 6-2, 6-2, 6-2; Feliciano Lopez (Spain) beat Igor Andreev (Russia) 6-7 (3-7), 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5); 28-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat Luis Horna (Peru) 6-4, 6-2 2-1 – Horna retired; Sebastien Grosjean (France) beat Max Mirnyi (Belarus) 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-3; 5-Andy Roddick (US) beat Jose Acasuso (Argentina) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 – Acasuso retired; Lee Hyung-taik (South Korea) beat 14-Guillermo Canas (Argentina) 7-5, 7-5, 6-3; 19-Andy Murray (Britain) beat Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) 5-7, 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1; 9-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Simone Bolelli (Italy) 7-5, 6-3, 6-3; Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat Gilles Simon (France) 6-0, 6-4, 6-3; Donald Young (US) beat 13-Richard Gasquet (France) – walkover.

Women’s singles:

Second round: 2-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat Casey Dell’Acqua (Australia) 6-1, 6-0; 30-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat Virginie Razzano (France) 6-2, 6-3; Agnes Szavay (Hungary) beat 32-Michaella Krajicek (Netherlands) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3; 13-Nicole Vaidisova (Czech Republic) beat Flavia Pennetta (Italy) 6-2, 7-6 (7-0); Maria Kirilenko (Russia) beat 22-Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) 6-4, 6-3; 7-Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat Anastasia Rodionova (Russia) 7-5, 6-1; Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) beat Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) 6-2, 6-2; 16-Martina Hingis (Switzerland) beat Pauline Parmentier (France) 6-2, 7-5; 11-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) beat Severine Bremond (France) 6-3, 6-0; Julia Vakulenko (Ukraine) beat Jelena Kostanic Tosic (Croatia) 6-2, 6-1; 4-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Camille Pin (France) 6-3, 4-6, 6-0; Tamira Paszek (Austria) beat 24-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 6-3, 7-5; 31-Anabel Medina Garriques (Spain) beat Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Spain) 7-5, 6-2; 26-Sania Mirza (India) beat Laura Granville (US) 6-3, 7-5 6-Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) beat Nicole Pratt (Australia) 6-3, 6-4; 18-Shahar Peer (Israel) beat Bethanie Mattek (US) 6-2, 6-1.—Reuters