NEW YORK, Aug 30: A host of heavyweights dodged rain drops and got down to work on Thursday, splashing into the third round of the US Open on a sodden day four of action.

But one big gun rusted by the wet New York weather was fourth seed Yevgeny Kafelnikov. The Russian was given a 6-3 6-1 6-1 beating by Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia.

Persistent and heavy rain drenched the Flushing Meadows grounds to delay the start of play for more than five hours, but when it finally got underway Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, Andre Agassi, Martina Hingis and Venus Williams all wrapped up quick-fire wins in a glittering programme.

Capriati was first up to entertain a patient crowd who had waited as the heavens opened over the borough of Queens. She did not disappoint, clattering Slovenian Tina Pisnik 6-4 6-2 in powerful fashion.

The third seed was followed on court by fourth seed Lindsay Davenport, who reeled off four successive games to complete a 6-4 6-2 victory over Hungary’s Petra Mandula after their match had been halted by rain on Wednesday.

Andre Agassi shuffled on to Arthur Ashe stadium court as soon as Davenport had packed her rackets away, and shuffled off again just 66 minutes later having inflicted a humiliating 6-0 6-1 6-1 defeat on fellow American Justin Gimelstob.

Top seed Lleyton Hewitt continued his defence with a 7-6 6-4 6-1 win over Israel’s Noam Okun. He next faces American James Blake, who beat Russian Nikolay Davydenko in four sets.

Women’s defending champion Venus Williams took just 54 minutes to sweep aside the challenge of Australia’s Alicia Molik 6-1 6-2.

Ninth seed Martina Hingis, champion here in 1997, also showed what she can do, pounding Italian qualifier Antonella Serra Zanetti 6-4 6-1.

Sixth seed Monica Seles had a close escape when she clawed her way back with some ferocious hitting to beat Barbara Schwartz, the Austrian thorn in her side in the Davis Cup earlier this year, 1-6 7-6 6-2.

Another defeat for American Seles, champion here in 1991 and 1992, looked on the cards but on this occasion Schwartz could not close out.

All the doubles matches on Thursday were cancelled as organisers received grim weather reports from the New York meteorological centre.

There had been fears that no play at all would be possible in the day session — the first time a session would have been wiped out at the Open since the 1988 men’s final — as dark clouds shrouded the New York site.

But as soon as the rain stopped the Open’s army of court workers got on their hands and knees, with towels in their hands, and scrubbed.

Within minutes the court had been dried and play was possible.

The court workers will be stretched to the full over the next four days as rain and thunderstorms are predicted for the fourth and final Grand Slam event of the year.

RESULTS

Men singles (second round) (prefix number denotes seeding)

13-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Michael Chang (U.S.) 6-3 6-1 6-3; 32-Max Mirnyi (Belarus) beat Anthony Dupuis (France) 6-4 6-3 3-6 6-2; 21-Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 6-2 3-6 6-4 6-3; Jan-Michael Gambill (U.S.) beat 9-Carlos Moya (Spain) 6-3 6-3 6-1; Wayne Ferreira (South Africa) beat 8-Albert Costa (Spain) 1-6 6-7 (8-10) 6-4 7-5 6-4; 31-Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat Fernando Meligeni (Brazil) 4-6 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-2; Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) beat 4-Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia) 6-3 6-1 6-1; 20-Younes El Aynaoui (Morocco) beat Hicham Arazi (Morocco) 6-3 6-4 2-0 retired; 14-Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) beat John van Lottum (Netherlands) 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 6-1; Fernando Vicente (Spain) beat Mardy Fish (U.S.) 7-5 7-6 (7-4) 6-1; 22-Marcelo Rios (Chile) beat Robin Soderling (Sweden) 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-3; 1-Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) beat Noam Okun (Israel) 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 6-1; 25-James Blake (U.S.) beat Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) 6-3 4-6 6-1 6-3; 6-Andre Agassi (U.S.) beat Justin Gimelstob (U.S.) 6-0 6-1 6-1

Women singles (second round):

14-Chanda Rubin (U.S.) beat Anca Barna (Germany) 6-4 6-1; 6-Monica Seles (U.S.) beat Barbara Schwartz (Austria) 1-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2; 7-Kim Clijsters (Belgium) beat Mashona Washington (U.S.) 6-1 7-6 (7-1); Vera Zvonareva (Russia) beat Henrieta Nagyova (Slovakia) 6-1 6-0; Martina Muller (Germany) beat 29-Barbara Schett (Austria) 5-7 6-2 7-5; 21-Lisa Raymond (U.S.) beat Myriam Casanova (Switzerland) 6-4 6-2; Yoon-Jeong Cho (South Korea) beat 32-Paola Suarez (Argentina) 6-4 6-4; 2-Venus Williams (U.S.) beat Alicia Molik (Australia) 6-1 6-2; 9-Martina Hingis (Switzerland) beat Antonella Serra Zanetti (Italy) 6-4 6-1; 16-Maggie Maleeva (Bulgaria) beat Emilie Loit (France) 4-6 6-3 7-5; Amanda Coetzer (South Africa) beat 17-Anna Smashnova (Israel) 6-2 6-4; 10-Amelie Mauresmo (France) beat Cristina Torrens Valero (Spain) 7-6 (7-3) 6-2; Marion Bartoli (France) beat Rossana Neffa-De los Rios (Paraguay) 3-6 6-2 6-2; 30-Meghann Shaughnessy (U.S.) beat Conchita Martinez (Spain) 6-3 6-2; Amy Frazier (U.S.) beat 18-Ai Sugiyama (Japan) 6-4 6-2; 23-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) beat Martina Sucha (Slovakia) 6-3 6-3; 22-Tatiana Panova (Russia) beat Fabiola Zuluaga (Colombia) 5-7 7-5 6-4; 4-Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) beat Petra Mandula (Hungary) 6-4 6-2; 3-Jennifer Capriati (U.S.) beat Tina Pisnik (Slovenia) 6-4 6-2—Reuters