Buoyant Hingis overwhelms Kudryavtseva

MELBOURNE, Jan 18 (Reuters) Sixth seed Martina Hingis eased into the Australian Open third round with a crushing 6-2 6-2 victory over Russian Alla Kudryavtseva today.

The Swiss former world number one started slowly but soon got into her stride to overwhelm her 19-year-old opponent ranked 134th in the world.

Hingis, three-times Australian Open champion, looked on course for an even faster victory when she raced into a 4-0 lead in the second set, but Kudryavtseva won two consolation games to extend the match to 68 minutes.

''I've never seen her (Kudryavtseva) before so it took me a little time to adjust to what she was playing like,'' Hingis told a news conference. ''I'm definitely happy but I know I can get better.'' Hingis, 26, won the title three years in a row from 1997-99 and reached the quarter-finals 12 months ago after returning to the sport following a three-year self-imposed exile.

''Everyone expects me to get to the quarter-finals this year whereas last year each win was a bonus,'' she said. ''But I had a great season and this time I'm more confident, I've played tournaments and I know where I am.'' Hingis will play Indian Sania Mirza or Japan's Aiko Nakamura in the next round and is closing on a potential quarter-final against her good friend Kim Clijsters, who knocked her out in three sets at the same stage 12 months ago.

''I am not looking that far ahead,'' Hingis said. ''I have two tough matches before that but if we get to play each other again that would be great.'' Reuters PM GC0913