TENNIS:DEFENDING CHAMPION Kim Clijsters won 12 games in a row to storm into the third round of the US Open with a 6-3 6-0 victory over Petra Kvitova.

Kvitova, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals this year but then lost in the first round of her next five tournaments, raced into a 3-0 lead with two breaks of serve.

That meant the Czech left-hander had already won more games than during her previous meeting with Clijsters – a 6-1 6-1 defeat in Miami this year – but that was as good as it got for the 27th seed.

After three double faults in the third game, Clijsters got to grips with her serve in the windy conditions and won the next 12 games in a row convincingly to seal victory before the forecast rain arrived in New York.

“I am happy to have my match done before the storm comes, if it does come,” Clijsters said in reference to the effects of Hurricane Earl on the east coast of the United States.

“Now I can go back and play with Jada (her daughter) in the hotel while everyone else battles it out here.”

Russia’s Elena Dementieva had earlier benefited from a similar collapse from her opponent Daniela Hantuchova.

Dementieva led 2-0 in the opening set before losing five games in a row and being forced to save three set points on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

But from 5-2 down the 12th seed then won 11 of the next 13 games to complete a 7-5 6-2 win in one hour and 31 minutes.

Her victory set up a last-16 clash with fifth seed Samantha Stosur, the French Open finalist beating Italy’s Sara Errani 6-2 6-3.

“I did not want to lose that first set, I was just trying to fight for every point and that was the key for the match,” said Dementieva, who dropped out of the world’s top 10 for the first time in more than three years in August.

“After that I felt so much more confident in the second set and played a more aggressive game.”

Meanwhile, unseeded Frenchman Michael Llodra yesterday continued his superb form at this year’s US Open by booking his place in the third round at Flushing Meadows.

Llodra knocked out Wimbledon finalist and seventh seed Tomas Berdych in straight sets in the opening round and enjoyed a similarly comfortable win yesterday against Romania’s Victor Hanescu.

The 30-year-old, who had lost 22 of his previous 36 first-round matches in Grand Slams, won 7-6 (7/2) 6-4 6-2 to set up a last-32 clash with Spain’s Tommy Robredo.

Robredo had won the first set of his match with France’s Julien Benneteau 6-4 and was in a second set tie-break when Benneteau was forced to retire hurt.

The 28-year-old looked to injure his left wrist while playing a double-handed backhand, the innocuous incident appearing worryingly similar to the problem suffered by Britain’s Andy Murray in Hamburg in 2007.

Andy Murray’s second round match with Jamaica’s Dustin Brown was interrupted by rain but it was only a temporary delay to the Scot’s progress as he ran out a comfortable winner 7-5 6-3 6-0 in just an hour and 25 minutes.

DAY FIVE DETAILS

WOMEN’S SINGLES

Third round: (5) Samantha Stosur (Aus) bt Sara Errani (Ita) 6-2 6-3, (12) Elena Dementieva (Rus) bt (24) Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) 7-5 6-2, (2) Kim Clijsters (Bel) bt (27) Petra Kvitova (Cze) 6-3 6-0, (2) Kim Clijsters (Bel) bt (27) Petra Kvitova (Cze) 6-3 6-0, 20) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Rus) bt Gisela Dulko (Arg) 6-1 6-2

MEN’S SINGLES

Second round: Julien Benneteau (Fra) bt Tommy Robredo (Spa) 4-6 6-6 ret, Julien Benneteau (Fra) bt Tommy Robredo (Spa) 4-6 6-6 (1-2).Michael Llodra (Fra) bt Victor Hanescu (Rom) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 6-2, Daniel Gimeno-Traver (Spa) bt Jeremy Chardy (Fra) 4-6 6-2 6-0 1-1 7-6 (8-6), (4) Andy Murray (Brit) bt Dustin Brown (Jam) 7-5 6-3 6-0, Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukr) bt Ryan Harrison (USA) 6-3 5-7 3-6 6-3 7-6 (8-6), (18) John Isner (USA) bt Marco Chiudinelli (Swi) 6-3 3-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-4, Tommy Robredo (Spa) bt Julien Benneteau (Fra) 6-4 6-6 (2-1) ret .