Williams and Capriati power through
( 2001-08-02 15:27 ) (7 )

Title-holder Venus Williams scored a resounding victory in her opening match at the US$750,000 Acura Classic, but three seeds fell in second round action on Wednesday.

Wimbledon champion Williams overwhelmed 18-year-old Russian Elena Bovina 6-1 6-2 but fifth seed Kim Clijsters, number eight Amy Frazier and number 13 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario all went out.

Second seed Williams was joined in the third round by Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, Elena Dementieva, Meghann Shaughnessy and Jelena Dokic.

The 6-foot-3-inch Bovina has risen quickly in the world rankings this year, vaulting from 141 to her current position of 56, but against Williams the gangly Russian was often wild and she double-faulted on match point to concede defeat.

"She's a good player, said Williams, who now faces hard-hitting Czech Daja Bedanova, a 6-1 6-4 winner over Sanchez- Vicario.

"You never know, in the next six months she could be doing very well. She's a young player and I think she was a little excited playing against me.

"When I'm playing a younger player I know where to exploit them. Maybe against another player she would have put more balls in play," said Williams.

"She was going for her shots at times, maybe a little too much. She gives the maximum effort level but sometimes she was too excited."

"I don't like to lose," Williams said. "I never envision myself losing when I come into a tournament, but when I do lose a match, I can't believe it. I'm walking to the net, shaking hands and I don't have a win.

Capriati, in her first WTA Tour match since losing to Justine Henin in the Wimbledon semifinals, looked completely at home on her native hardcourts as she crushed Japan's Shinobu Asagoe 6-1 6-1.

"It was quick but I don't think like that," said the third seed. "I just try to win every game and every point."

The 25-year-old said she had put the Henin defeat behind her, a reverse which prevented her from winning her third major in a row and going for the Grand Slam.

SLIPPED AWAY

"I was disappointed more because I think I totally had the match but then it just slipped away," she said. "Looking back, I was kind of tired.

"My (quarter-final) win over Serena had really worn me out because I hadn't been tested at all and then all of a sudden I was in a really hard match. But I feel completely different now."

Capriati hasn't won a US summer hardcourt title since she took the crown here in 1992. She said she was ready to make herself a dominant player on the cement.

"I feel confident and don't see why I can't have a good run at these hardcourt tournaments," said Capriati, who now plays 15th-seeded Yugoslav Dokic, a 7-6 (7-1) 7-5 winner over Germany's Jana Kandarr. "I feel pretty prepared."

Just three days after winning the Bank of the West Classic, Belgian Clijsters was stunned by Japan's Ai Sugiyama 6-3 6-3.

The 18-year-old Clijsters was outplayed in her opening match of the tournament as she failed to reproduce the form she showed to beat Davenport in three sets in the Bank of the West final.

"I didn't played bad, but she didn't make unforced errors and played very well," said Clijsters.

"I just played a final on Sunday. It was different here because the court was different and I had to get used to it. I'm disappointed that I lost but I'm pretty happy the way I played. I didn't play bad. She returns really well and likes to attack."

Frazier was bulldozed by the bullet serves and strong forehands of San Diego's Alexandra Stevenson, who powered to a 6-1 5-7 6-4 triumph over her fellow American.

Davenport eased past fellow American Sandra Cacic 6-3 6-3 but said she wasn't at her best.

"I played pretty solid," said Davenport, who will face Austria's Barbara Schett in the next round.

"I didn't play great. It was just a hard-hitting game. She was making mistakes early on but I was just pretty solid. But three and three in a first round match, I have to be happy with that."

Russian Dementieva had few problems with Germany's Marlene Weingartner, going through 6-3 6-3. She now takes on 12th seed Sandrine Testud of France.

American Shaughnessy, seeded 11, outfought Luxembourg's Anne Kremer 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 6-1 to set up a third round tussle with number seven seed Monica Seles.