NEW YORK -- Showing off the game that took her to four consecutive titles, including Wimbledon, Venus Williams easily swept into the third round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday.

With her high-power game in gear, the third-seeded Williams rolled past Kveta Hrdlickova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-1 in just 48 minutes.

	Japan's Ai Sugiyama strains to return the ball against Kristie Boogert, who went on to Sugiyama 6-3, 6-4.

"The first match I didn't play very well," Williams admitted. "This match I played much better, served much better."

Hrdlickova knows only too well.

Williams had nine aces among her 29 winners, while her aggressive game also produced 23 unforced errors. Hrdlickova had only two winners along with 11 unforced errors, but the match didn't depend on what she did.

"The mistakes I make depend on how the match goes," Williams said.

For all the top players in action, it was a day of routine second-round victories.

No. 1 Martina Hingis breezed crushed Kristina Brandi 6-1, 6-1; No. 3 Venus Williams beat Kveta Hrdlickova 6-1, 6-1 in 48 minutes; No. 6 Monica Seles beat Anne Kremer 6-3, 6-4; No. 8 Nathalie Tauziat beat Maria Alejandra Vento 6-3, 6-1; No. 9 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario beat Sonya Jeyaseelan 6-4, 6-1; No. 11 Sandrine Testud beat Iroda Tulyaganova 6-4, 6-3; No. 15 Jennifer Capriati advanced 6-2, 6-2 against Henrieta Nagyova and Chanda Rubin beat Barbara Schett 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 in women's second-round matches.

A year ago, on the grass at Eastbourne, Kremer beat Seles in straight sets in their first and only meeting. Seles returned the favor Wednesday.

Seles, a two-time Open champion making her 10th appearance at this Grand Slam event, continued her streak of making it to the third round or better here. Seeded sixth, she needed 1 hour, 9 minutes to finish Kremer.

Coming off a loss to Williams in the final at New Haven in the warmup for the Open, Seles displayed an efficient all-court game against Kremer. She had three aces and converted three of eight break-point opportunities, while Kremer capitalized on just one of five.

"She doesn't make mistakes and she loves pace," Seles said of Kremer. "I knew it would be tough. At key times, I was able to raise my game."