Clijsters easily knocks out former No. 1 Ivanovic at windy US Open

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Clijsters knocks out former No. 1 at windy US Open

NEW YORK — Kim Clijsters put a quick end to Ana Ivanovic’s run at the U.S. Open, winning her 18th straight match at Flushing Meadows with a 6-2, 6-1 wipeout of the former world No. 1 in their fourth-round match Sunday.

Ivanovic, who fell to as low as No. 65 after a couple of injury-plagued years, has gotten back to No. 40 and was trying to move higher. She won three matches at the U.S. Open and was getting her biggest test — and opportunity — against the second-seeded defending champion.

It wasn’t much of a contest.

After regaining an early break to pull to within 3-2 in the first, Ivanovic got overpowered, losing seven straight games to turn the match into a rout. Clijsters, moving as well as anyone in the tournament, used heavy, deep groundstrokes to pressure Ivanovic into 28 unforced errors. She fought through the wind, which blew hard across the Billie Jean King tennis center for the second straight day.

“In the beginning, you have to settle a bit, with the wind you have to adjust, especially with the serve,” Clijsters said. “I started moving forward and dictating the points, as well.”

Trailing 4-1 in the second set, Ivanovic served a game that went seven deuces, but double-faulted to end the game. Eight points later, the match was over. It lasted 59 minutes.

Clijsters next faces the winner of a match scheduled for later Saturday between No. 5 Samantha Stosur and No. 12 Elena Dementieva.

The Belgian won the U.S. Open in 2005, then was off the tour for 2½ years while she got married and had a baby. She returned to win it again in 2009 and is still waiting for her first challenge at this year’s tournament.

Other than a 7-5 second set in her first-round match, Clijsters has not been challenged as she heads into the second week. She has lost a total of 14 games in four matches.

Also winning Sunday was No. 6 Francesca Schiavone, 6-3, 6-0 over 20th-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Others on the schedule Sunday included No. 3 Venus Williams, who plays No. 16 Shahar Peer; No. 1 Rafael Nadal against Gilles Simon; 18th-seeded American John Isner against Russian Mikhail Youzhny and 20th-seeded American Sam Querrey against No. 14 Nicolas Almagro.