Defending champion Kim Clijsters today won 12 games in a row against Petra Kvitova to storm into the third round of the US Open.

Kvitova, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals this year but then lost in the first round of her next five tournaments, raced into a 3-0 lead with two breaks of serve.

That meant the Czech left-hander had already won more games than during her previous meeting with Clijsters - a 6-1 6-1 defeat in Miami this year - but that was as good as it got for the 27th seed.

After three double faults in the third game, Clijsters got to grips with her serve in the windy conditions and won the next 12 games in a row to seal victory before the forecast rain arrived in New York.

"I am happy to have my match done before the storm comes, if it does come," Clijsters said in reference to the effects of Hurricane Earl on the east coast of the United States.

"Now I can go back and play with Jada (her daughter) in the hotel while everyone else battles it out here."

Russia's Elena Dementieva had earlier benefited from a similar collapse from her opponent Daniela Hantuchova.

Dementieva led 2-0 in the opening set before losing five games in a row and being forced to save three set points on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

But from 5-2 down the 12th seed then won 11 of the next 13 games to complete a 7-5 6-2 win in one hour and 31 minutes to set up a last-16 clash with fifth seed Samantha Stosur, the French Open finalist beating Italy's Sara Errani 6-2 6-3.

"I did not want to lose that first set, I was just trying to fight for every point and that was the key for the match," said Dementieva, who dropped out of the world's top 10 for the first time in more than three years in August.

"After that I felt so much more confident in the second set and played a more aggressive game."

Speaking about the forecast bad weather, Dementieva added: "It was so strange because since last evening we all were talking about how bad it's gonna be today.

"Coming to the stadium I was like looking out the window, expecting 'Where is the rain? Where is the wind?"