LOS ANGELES: Serbian top seed Jelena Jankovic denied American Vania King on two set points in the opening set, then won eight of the last 10 games to advance 7-5, 6-2 in a WTA hardcourt tournament on Wednesday.

Jelena, ranked a career-best second in the world, improved to 4-0 against Vania and advanced to a third-round match against Hungary's Melinda Czink, who defeated Ukraine's Olga Savchuk 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Jelena, 23, won her sixth career title earlier this year in Rome and has reached the quarter-finals in 11 of 12 events in 2008, something she will do again with a victory over Melinda.

A finalist here in 2006 and a semi-finalist last year before losing to countrywoman and eventual winner Ana Ivanovic, Jelena hopes for another deep run as she prepares for next month's US Open.

French Open champion Ana, the World No 1, is not here to defend her title.
Japan's Ai Sugiyama upset Swiss seventh seed Patty Schnyder while Russian fourth seed Dinara Safina in second-round matches here on Wednesday at a US$600,000 WTA event.

Dinara ousted China's Peng Shuai 6-2, 6-2 while Ai subdued Patty 6-4, 7-5 and will next face Italy's Flavia Pennetta, who beat Austrian Tamira Paszek 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Australian Samantha Stosur ousted Russia's Regina Kulikova 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 and next will face eighth seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who eliminated Taiwan's Chan Yung Jan 6-1, 6-3.

British lucky loser Melanie South, who reached the draw when US second seed Serena Williams withdrew, defeated Czech Petra Kvitova 6-4, 6-2 and will next face China's Yuan Meng, who ousted India's Sania Mirza 6-4, 6-3. -- AFP