New York: Third seed Maria Sharapova led a charge of 10 Russians into the third round of the women's draw at the US Open on Thursday.
The 19-year-old Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion and former world number one, lost just one game to France's Emilie Loit to advance, while sixth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 champion, lost only two games in her triumph over American Lauren Albanese.
Russia had 19 players in the women's draw, one more than the usually best-represented US, and they have shown strength in their numbers.
None of the 10 Russians who advanced lost a set.
"It's definitely really good to see, you know, the Russians doing well," Sharapova said after her 52-minute victory.
"I mean, we've had a really good year this year. 2004 was one of the best for our country. Hopefully we'll finish it off in a good way this year."
Other Russian seeds to progress at the Open on Thursday were Elena Dementieva (4), Nadia Petrova (5), Dinara Safina (12), Maria Kirilenko (20), Anna Chakvetadze (23), Elena Likhovtseva (32) and Vera Zvonareva (33).
Also joining the march of the Russians at the US National Tennis Center was unseeded Anastassia Rodionova. Two unseeded Russian women fell on Thursday.
Alina Jidkova lost to ninth seed Nicole Vaidisova of Czech Republic, and Ekaterina Bychkova was beaten by 22nd seed Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia.
The Russian contingent will be whittled down in the next round as three sets of compatriots square off for berths in the last 16: Sharapova plays Likhovtseva; Dementieva meets Zvonareva, and Kuznetsova goes against Rodionova.
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