Azarenka, Kvitova win U.S. Open second-rounders

Flushing Meadows, NY – World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka and last year's Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova were easy second-round winners Wednesday at the 2012 U.S. Open.

The Belarusian star Azarenka whipped Belgian qualifier Kirsten Flipkens 6-2, 6-2 in 65 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Flipkens is a former U.S. Open girls and junior world champion.

Azarenka, a former U.S. Open mixed doubles champ, has been No. 1 for most of the year after capturing her first major singles title at the Australian Open back in January.

The 23-year-old Azarenka has never advanced beyond the fourth round in Flushing.

"I don't feel like I have to prove something," she said.

Next up for Azarenka will be China's Zheng Jie.

The fifth-seeded Kvitova handled France's Alize Cornet 6-4, 6-3 at Louis Armstrong Stadium. The left-handed Czech slugger captured both Wimbledon and the prestigious season-ending WTA Championships last year.

Also, 15th-seeded Czech Lucie Safarova held off Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 and 19th-seeded former top-10 Russian Nadia Petrova pasted Romanian Simona Halep 6-1, 6-1 on Day 3 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

In other action involving seeds, a No. 28 Zheng drubbed Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova 6-3, 6-1 and No. 31 American Varvara Lepchenko whipped Aussie Anastasia Rodionova 6-2, 6-2.

Another American winner was Stanford All-American Mallory Burdette, who surprised capable Czech Lucie Hradecka 6-2, 6-4. Burdette is a 21-year-old from Georgia who was this year's NCAA runner-up to Nicole Gibbs.

Also advancing to the third round was Luxembourg's Mandy Minella.