(Reuters) - World number one Victoria Azarenka rolled into the third round of the U.S. Open with an emphatic 6-2 6-2 victory over Belgian qualifier Kirsten Flipkens on Wednesday.
Azarenka never lost her serve to win the one-sided affair in 65 minutes on a blustery Arthur Ashe Stadium court.
"It was another good performance today," said Azarenka, who lost just one game in her first-round demolition of Russian Alexandra Panova. "It was a little bit difficult with the wind today, to adjust. "It was blowing a lot from one side. You kind of had to adjust every time you changed sides. When the wind is behind you had to be more patient, sometimes more aggressive, more spin."
Seeking her second grand slam title after winning the Australian Open this year, Belarusian Azarenka will face 28th seed Zheng Jie of China in the third round.
Azarenka's punishing groundstrokes were too much for the 133rd-ranked Flipkens, who had advanced to the second round of a major for the first time since Wimbledon in 2010.
Flipkens led 2-1 in the second set but squandered two break points opportunities and the train fell off the rails.
"At 15-40, I didn't have a chance," a frustrated Flipkens told reporters. "On 30-40, I missed a backhand return. Of course, if you play against girls like this, you have to take every chance you get.
"Today was 6-2 6-2 and I think the maximum I could get out of here was maybe 6-2 6-4... She was just too strong today."
Flipkens, 26, said she tried to mix the pace of her ground strokes but the missiles kept coming back.
"I wanted to come to the net but if you're against the wind it's not that easy," she said. "I was trying to get her out of the rhythm with my slice and a few topspin forehands. "But if you're number one in the world you should be able to play every shot. She's a fighter. She's goes for every shot."
The 23-year-old Azarenka, who has never advanced beyond the fourth round at Flushing Meadows, knows expectations are higher now that she is the world's top-ranked player.
"There is more attention that people expect you to play better," she said. "For me, I always take it match by match no matter what my ranking is. I have been doing it for pretty much my whole career.
"I'm just always focusing day by day. As far as I can go, we'll see, but I try to stay humble and focused."
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