Speedy Vinci races into third round at U.S. Open

By Steve Keating

NEW YORK ( Reuters) - Seventh seed Roberta Vinci will not catch anyone by surprise with a run to the U.S. Open final like she did a year ago but the Italian continued to raise eyebrows on Wednesday with a speedy win over Christina McHale.

Vinci, who was unseeded last year when she lost in the final to compatriot Flavia Pennetta, has offered early signs that a return trip could be in the offing as she raced into the third round with a 6-1 6-3 win over American McHale.

The straight-forward victory, which Vinci wrapped up in 63 minutes, followed a clinical first round win over Germany's Anna-Lena Friedsam that took 68 minutes.

"The first round is always the toughest one," Vinci told reporters. "But, yeah, step by step you can play more confident.

"Now I just keep going. I'm so happy that I won two matches here, tomorrow rest, and then focus for the next round."

Vinci will next face either Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva or Germany's Carina Witthoeft.

The 33-year-old Italian has barely broken a sweat this week, especially against the 55th-ranked McHale who could manage only a single break opportunity which she failed to convert while committing 29 unforced errors.

"It's nice of course to come back," said Vinci. "But of course you have a lot of pressure.

"Now I'm seven in the world; a lot of points to defend.

"But probably the key is don't think about this. Just play every single match. Stay positive. Just think about the opponent, about my game.

"Then, of course, it's better to be number seven than 43 in the world."

(Editing by Frank Pingue)