Tennis - US Open:Five-time champion Roger Federer held off a game challenge from Germany's Simon Greul to set up a US Open third-round match with Lleyton Hewitt. The Swiss, in his first match under the lights in 2009, won the second-round match 6-3 7-5 7-5 but it was not a straightforward win as the world number 65 forced the top seed to play some top-drawer tennis.
Hewitt also came through his second-round match on Wednesday, the 31st seed winning through 6-3 6-3 6-4 against Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina.
Rafael Nadalproduced a ruthless display to dispatch Richard Gasquetin their first-round match.
The Spaniard, starting his campaign for the only major title still to elude him, allayed any fears about his fitness with a sublime performance to see off Frenchman Gasquet 6-2 6-2 6-3 in one hour and 40 minutes.
The former world No1's high-energy approach and power-packed groundstrokes from both wings left Gasquet chasing shadows throughout a desperately one-sided contest.
Gasquet, playing just his second tournament since having a ban for testing positive for cocaine overturned, was unable to carve out even a break point and looked well short of match fitness.
Nadal, the third seed, broke twice during each of the first two sets to assume total control.
And a further break in the third set was enough for the 23-year-old from Manacor to book a second-round date with Germany's Nicolas Kiefer.
Another former world number one Marat Safinwaved farewell to Flushing Meadows as his Grand Slam career came to an abrupt end with a 1-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 defeat to Austrian Jurgen Melzerin the first round.
Safin, who famously dethroned Pete Sampras to win the 2000 New York event, announced at the start of the campaign that this would be his final season in the sport.
The 29-year-old Russian, who also won the Australian Open in 2005, has enjoyed 15 titles over his 12-year-career, the last of them his second major at Melbourne.
Safin won the first set in 27 minutes but could not manage a break chance in the second, which he surrendered by netting a backhand for the lone break in the last game. Melzer broke in the sixth game of the third set and served out.
The telling point came at 2-2 in the fourth set on Safin's serve. He struggled to reach two returns, twice lunging in vain, and then hit a forehand long.
Safin then rolled back the years with two aces but a second-serve was blasted back for an uncontested winner to surrender the break, Safin staring at the ball long after it had passed him by.
Melzer held serve three more times to end matters after two hours 13 minutes. The crowd stood and applauded in tribute while Safin grabbed his bag, waved his right hand in the air and walked off the court for the final time.
Melzer's next opponent will be sixth seed Juan Martin Del Potro, who advanced with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 victory over fellow Argentine Juan Monaco.
Elsewhere, the 13th seed Gael Monfilswas barely extended as he romped to a 6-1 6-4 6-3 first-round victory over Jeremy Chardy.
Defending women's champion Serena Williamspowered her way into the third round with a quickfire victory over Hungary's Melinda Czink.
World number two Williams, bidding for a fourth US Open title and 12th grand slam of her career, took just 53 minutes to use her renowned heavy hitting and blast her way past the hapless Czink 6-1 6-1 under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Amelie Mauresmocrashed out in the second round, beaten 6-4 6-0 by Aleksandra Wozniakon Arthur Ashe court.
The former Australian Open and Wimbledon champion had been in good form during her first round match but produced a below-par display on Wednesday, collecting 31 errors in the 62-minute contest.
Wozniak, who also looked impressive during her opening clash, was much more consistent than her opponent and progressed to the third round with an impressive array of shot-making, including 15 outright winners.
The unseeded Canadian can expect a much tougher test in the next round where she will meet 10th seed Flavia Pennetta, who dished out the first whitewash of this year's tournament demolishing India's Sania Mirza6-0 6-0.
Pennetta, the first Italian woman to reach the world's top 10, raced to victory in just 50 minutes and while she has been riding a hot streak, winning the title in Los Angeles last month, world number 74 Mirza has been playing most of her tennis on the ITF circuit, a level below the main tour.
And it told - the first set was over in 22 minutes and though Mirza had a game point in the first and fifth games of the second, she could not get on the scoreboard as Pennetta romped to victory.
No problems at all for Venus Williams, who convincingly saw off Bethanie Mattek-Sands6-4 6-2 to progress into the third round.
The number three seed struggled under the floodlights in her opening match, but the two-times US Open winner fared much better in Wednesday's encounter, recording a straights sets victory in an hour and 31 minutes.
Williams' opponent and fellow American Mattek-Sands walked onto the court sporting a pair of knee-high gym socks - the 24-year-old was hoping the retro look would help inspire her to victory.
But the unseeded player was under the cosh in the third game as the world No. 3 broke to love, but Mattek-Sands quickly responded by taking the following game with a deft drop-shot/lob combination.
Williams soon wrestled back the break of serve and closed out the 48 minute set on the second time of asking before taking a crucial advantage at the start of the second set.
The 29-year-old, who's heavily-strapped knee occasionally affected her movement, managed to secure another break of serve in game seven and despite three break points, clinched the match with a trademark booming serve.
Williams, who won back-to-back titles at New York in 2000 and 2001, will play Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikovafor a place in the last 16 after she beat qualifer Kai-Chen Chang 4-6 6-2 6-2.
Kim Clijsters'return to the sport continued on an upward curve as the Belgian ousted the 14th seed Marian Bartoli5-7 6-1 6-2.
The 15th seed S amantha Stosuralso went out in straight sets 7-5 6-4 to American Vania Kingand was followed by the 20th seed A nabel Medina Garrigueswho was sent packing after Belgian Kirsten Flipkenstook out the Spanish hope 6-1 6-3 in their second round clash.
But the 18th seed Na Lidisposed of the noisy Michelle Larcher de Brito6-1 6-3.
Number 7 seed Vera Zvonarevadropped the first set 6-3 to Anna Chakvetadzebefore hitting back for victory 6-1 6-1 while eighth seed Victoria Azarenkaof Belarus accounted for Czech Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova6-2 6-1