29 Aug 2008

Venus through to US Open third round

8:06 am on 29 August 2008

Venus Williams eased into the third round of the US Open by demolishing Rossana De Los Rios of Paraguay 6-0 6-3 despite a lacklustre performance sprinkled with unforced errors.

Williams, the US Open winner in 2000 and 2001, did not get much of a workout in the 59-minute match against the 113-ranked De Los Rios, 32, who has never gone beyond the second round at Flushing Meadows.

The 28-year-old seventh seed, who won her fifth Wimbledon singles title in July, made 17 unforced errors and squandered four match points on her serve at 5-3 up before finally claiming victory on the fifth.

In the third round, Williams will meet Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine, the 27th seed who defeated Sabine Lisicki of Germany in three sets.