Williams sisters advance at US Open tennis
(AP)
Updated: 2005-09-03 15:34

The Williams sisters will face each each as they easily defeated their rivals at the US Open tennis championships here on Friday.

Serena Williams, left, reaches to make a return against Francesca Schiavone, of Italy, background, at the US Open tennis tournament in New York, Friday, Sept. 2, 2005. [AP]

Eighth-seeded younger sister Serena beat No. 25 Francesca Schiavone 6-3, 6-4 while tenth-seeded Wimbledon champion Venus eliminated No. 20 Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 6-3, 6-3.

"I always hope for the best for my sister," Serena said.

In the men's bracket, Nikolay Davydenko, who reached the quarters at the Australian Open and the semis at French Open, joined the exodus of seeds as he was beaten by Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.

Former French Open champion Carlos Moya of Spain was also eliminated, as was No. 16 Radek Stepanek and No. 22 Mario Ancic.

Moya was defeated by Italy's Davide Sanguinetti 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 while Germany's Nicolas Kiefer beat Stepanek 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 and Serbia's Novak Djokovic toppled Ancic 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-3.

The eliminations increased the ousted men's seeds to 13, including five of the top 12.

Seeds that advanced included No. 3 Lleyton Hewitt of Australia, who beat Argentina's Jose Acasuso 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3), 6-2, and No. 25 Taylor Dent, the second highest-rated American remaining in the tournament, who subdued U.S. Open rookie Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.

Hewitt and Dent will face each other in the third round.

No. 15 Domink Hrbaty also advanced with a 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Switzerland's Michael Lammer.

Joining him in the third round were 17 David Ferrer, who beat Slovakia's Karol Kucera 6-3, 6-0, 6-2, and No. 27 Olivier Rochus of Belgium, a 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 winner over Albert Montanes.

Elshwere on the women's side, top-seeded Maria Sharapova took only five minutes to take a 3-0 lead on Julia Schruff, then finished off the German 6-2, 6-4 in 63 minutes. She will face India's Sania Mirza in the fourth round, who earlier beat Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli 7-6 (4), 6-4.

Other top women's seeds advancing were No. 4 Kim Clijsters, a 6-1, 6-4 winner over No. 30 Ai Sugiyama of Japan, and No. 9 Nadia Petrova of Russia, who beat American Laura Granville 6-2, 7-5.

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