Plain Jane nears spotlight

She was happy to take advantage of the 19th seed’s nerves and wild hitting in the first set, but Petrova improved in the second, which she took 8-6 in a tiebreak.

Davenport never looked totally at ease but still dominated the deciding set.

She meets Paola Suarez, the 24th seed from Argentina, or Russian Elena Likhovtseva in the last eight.

Jennifer Capriati, Mary Pierce and Lleyton Hewitt all clocked up U.S. Open victories before rain disrupted play on Saturday. As drizzle fell over Flushing Meadows, those with victories in the bag were able to look ahead to the next round while a host of big names, including Andre Agassi, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Justine Henin-Hardenne, were kept hanging around watching the skies.

Men’s top seed Andre Agassi was leading Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-3, 0-1 when rain began, completed the victory on Sunday, winning in straight sets. The American won 6-3, 7-6, 6-4.

Capriati powered into the fourth round before the rains broke, blasting France’s Emilie Loit 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 in a sometimes-erratic performance.

“I hate playing in those kind of conditions,” she said, adding that she had felt like she was racing to finish before the rain. Eleventh seed Elena Dementieva now stands in her path after the Russian did just enough to edge past Amy Frazier 7-6, 7-6.

“She’s a hard-hitter,” Capriati said. “She must be playing some good tennis but it’s pretty much straight up and down tennis, just hitting the ball hard.”

Mary Pierce continued to build confidence, form and momentum. The twice Grand Slam champion was a 6-4, 6-1 winner over Japan’s Shinobu Asagoe.

Fighting back to fitness after two injury plagued seasons, Pierce has begun to show glimpses of the power game that helped her to claim victory at the Australian and French Opens.

Pierce can equal her best effort at Flushing Meadows if she wins her next match against Russian seventh seed Anastasia Myskina.