Radwanska and Ivanovic cruise into next round

Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska and former world number one Ana Ivanovic breezed into the US Open second round yesterday as both women look to bury their woeful Flushing Meadows records.

Polish second seed Radwanska and Ivanovic, who was French Open champion in 2008, have never got beyond the fourth round in New York but have been quarter-finalists at the other three majors.

Radwanska, whose New York best came in 2007 and who lost in the second round in 2011, began her campaign with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Nina Bratchikova with the Russian’s challenge undone by 28 unforced errors.

Next up for Radwanska, who became the first Polish woman to make a Grand Slam final when she lost to Serena Williams at Wimbledon this summer, is Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro.

“It’s always a bit harder (coming in as second seed) because people expect you to go far in the tournament,” said 23-year-old Radwanska, who only needed 54 minutes to progress yesterday.

Ivanovic – whose fourth-round appearances came in 2007, 2010 and 2011 – defeated 17-year-old Ukrainian qualifier Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-2 and goes on to face Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson.

Svitolina, the 2010 French Open junior champion, was one of nine teenagers in the main draw.

Arvidsson saw off 41-year-old Kimiko Date Krumm, of Japan, 6-4 6-2. Asian hopes took a further battering when Chinese 32nd seed Peng Shuai tumbled out 7-6, 6-1 to Russia’s Elena Vesnina.

Men’s singles: Berdych bt Goffin 7-5, 6-3, 6-3; Wang bt Karlovic 7-6, 6-7, 6-1, 6-4; Almagro bt Stepanek 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4; Raonic bt Giraldo 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; Tsonga bt Beck 6-3, 6-1, 7-6; Roddick bt Williams 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.