Hingis, Clijsters register emphatic wins

PARIS: High-flying Martina Hingis led Patty Schynder in a Swiss sweep into the third round of the 14.3 million euro French Open on Friday, with two-time finalist Kim Clijsters joining the winner's parade.
 
With sun finally shining at Roland Garros following days of rain and clouds, spirits lifted on the clay.
 
Grand Slam champions Hingis and Clijsters made up for lost time, with number 12 Hingis, the winner of five majors as a teenager, hammering Czech Zuzana Ondraskova 6-1, 6-3.
 
Second seed Clijsters rolled past Conchita Martinez-Granados of Spain 6-0, 6-3. Schnyder, the number 7, faced more of a struggle, but pulled though over Julia Vakulenko of Ukraine 2-6, 7-5, 6-0.
 
"I really played very well, served well, moved well, everything," said Hingis, never a champion in Paris.
 
"I hope it's going to continue like that. I want to save the best for last," said the 1999 losing finalist to Germany's Steffi Graf.
 
Russian eight seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, playing a round ahead, reached the fourth round as she put out one of two remaining Chinese hopes, defeating Na Li 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).
 
The last Chinese was beaten in the second round, Jie Zheng going out to Croatian Ivana Lisjak 6-4, 6-4.
 
Clijsters, who struggled in the first round, had a wobble in the second set, losing serve to the 95th-ranked Martinez-Granados in the fifth game.
 
But the Belgian second seed, the reigning US Open champion, broke back a game later before moving on to close out victory in 55 minutes.
 
"I wasn't patient enough," said Clijsters. "I wasn't making the right decisions at the right time I think in those few games.