(Reuters) - Former world number one Ana Ivanovic overcame her lack of hardcourt preparation and cruised into the third round of the U.S. Open with a 6-2 6-2 victory over Swede Sofia Arvidsson on Thursday in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The 13th seeded Ivanovic, who broke Arvidsson's serve six times, needed only 64 minutes to advance while defeating her 28-year-old rival for the fourth time in five career meetings.
Arvidsson's counter-punching groundstrokes did little to offset the arsenal of her Serbian opponent trying to advance to the quarter-finals for the first time at Flushing Meadows.
"I'm very happy about today's match because she's a tough opponent," said Ivanovic, who enjoyed a 39-7 advantage in winners. "She does retrieve a lot of balls. She likes to use pace off an opponent... I'm very pleased."
Ivanovic, 24, played only one hardcourt match in the run-up to Flushing Meadows as she has battled a tendon injury in her foot as well as a variety of other health issues.
She was routed by Roberta Vinci 6-0 6-0 in Montreal earlier this month before withdrawing from the tour stop in Cincinnati.
"I still have a handful of pills every morning," she said with a laugh. "It's never a good time for an injury but it's also part of our sport. ... But at the moment, I feel healthy. My foot has been healing."
The 2008 French Open winner, who will play either American Sloane Stephens or German qualifier Tatjana Malek in the third round, said she is hungry to return to the top of the women's game and give herself a shot at winning another grand slam.
"It's been a long process of getting my mind there and my body and game and everything together," said Ivanovic. "Still, it's going to be a lot of hard work and a long process but I'm starting to enjoy it as well. If it doesn't happen this week, it's coming. Things are coming together."
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