US Open: Defending champions Djokovic, Stosur advance

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Defending champions Novak Djokovic and Samantha Stosur advanced in straight sets Friday at the US Open.

Serbian second seed Djokovic overwhelmed Brazil's Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-2, 6-1, 6-2, never facing a break point and winning 90 per cent of his first-serve points to reach the last 32 in 99 minutes on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts.

"It was very windy so it was very important to stay focused, but I played great," Djokovic said. "Even if the scoreline doesn't indicate it, it was a tough match."

Next for Djokovic will be either France's Julien Benneteau or Russian-born US teen Dennis Novikov, the lowest-ranked player ever in the second round of a Grand Slam event at 1,098th.

"It's important to get a day's rest and work on some things in my game and get ready for the next challenge," Djokovic said.

Stosur to face 'brilliant teen'

Stosur, who has not won a title since lifting the US Open trophy last year, took a 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 victory over US 31st seed Varvara Lepchenko and looked forward to the challenge British teen Laura Robson presents. Robson has beaten Clijsters and Li Na in second and third rounds respectively.

"She's already had two very good wins and she's full of confidence," Stosur said. "I'm going have to be ready to play my best game if I'm going to beat her.

"It can be a very tricky match. She's got nothing to lose and she has had two of the biggest wins of her career."

After fighting to 5-5 in the tie-breaker, Lepchenko sent a lob and a backhand wide to surrender the opening set after 59 minutes. Stosur broke in the third and fifth games of the second set and held to finish in 88 minutes.

"As the match went on I got a little more comfortable and relaxed a little bit more," Stosur said. "In the first set I felt like I served really well. That's how I was able to get into those games in the second set."

Ferrer win too

Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer moved into the third round by ousting Dutch qualifier Igor Sijsling 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (14/12).

Ferrer, a 2007 US Open semi-finalist in his best Grand Slam run, battled to his sixth match point before Sijsling netted a forehand to finally fall.

"He played very well in the third set," Ferrer said. "I was pleased to get it done."

Czech fifth seed Petra Kvitova ousted Pauline Parmentier 6-4, 6-4 to reach a round-of-16 match against her third consecutive French foe, 11th seed Marion Bartoli, who downed compatriot Kristina Mladenovic 6-2, 6-4.

Andy Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion who announced Thursday that this would be the final event of his career, later tries to keep his career going into the weekend, the US 20th seed facing Australian Bernard Tomic.

Third-seeded Russian Maria Sharapova, the reigning French Open champion, meets US wildcard Mallory Burdette and Belarus top seed Victoria Azarenka, the reigning Australian Open champion, plays China's Zheng Jie in later matches.