Second seed Agnieszka Radwanska crushed Nina Bratchikova 6-1 6-1 in just 54 minutes to reach the second round of the US Open.
Pole makes just six errors in quickfire win
Second seed Agnieszka Radwanska crushed Russia's Nina Bratchikova 6-1 6-1 in just 54 minutes to reach the second round of the US Open at Flushing Meadows.
The 91st-ranked Bratchikova had 28 unforced errors to only six for Radwanska.Bratchikova was making her US Open debut, but reached the third round at the Australian and French this year.
The Pole reached her first grand slam final at Wimbledon earlier this summer, losing in three sets to Serena Williams, and she was never troubled on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Radwanska, who has never advanced beyond the last 16 at Flushing Meadows, was at her consistent best as she set up a meeting against Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro in the second round.
"It's always a bit harder (coming in as second seed) because people expect you to play well and go far in the tournament," said 23-year-old Radwanska.
"But I am just trying not to really think about pressure. I don't really have many points to defend from last year. At least this is the good thing."
Radwanska also admitted that a right shoulder injury is still causing her some concern.
"It's different when I'm playing matches or I'm just practicing and not pushing that much. I'm really taking care of it right now," said the Pole, who retired from a first-round match in New Haven last week to protect the injury.
Venus impresses
Venus Williams has not been a factor at a grand slam for a long time but the American comes into this tournament in good form and wasted little time defeating countrywoman Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-3 6-1 on Arthur Ashe.
It was at the US Open last year that Williams revealed she was suffering from the auto-immune disease Sjogren's Syndrome and she was a shadow of her former self in losing to Elena Vesnina in the first round at Wimbledon in June.
But the 32-year-old showed promising signs at the Olympics, where she won a fourth gold medal in the doubles with sister Serena, while she reached the semi-finals in Cincinnati two weeks ago.
Former world number one Ana Ivanovic, seeded 12th, is also through, the Serbian beating Ukrainian qualifier Elina Svitolina 6-3 6-2 in round one.
It was the end of the road, though, for 41-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm from Japan, who continues to put aside talk of retirement but lost out 6-4 6-2 to Sweden's Sofia Arvidsson.
There were also wins on day two for Roberta Vinci, Dominika Cibulkova and Jelena Jankovic.
