WTA: Venus, Kuznetsova, Ivanovic move on at Wimbledon

Wimbledon, England (Sports Network) - Three-time champion Venus Williams was an easy winner on Thursday, while fifth-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova and surging Serbian star Ana Ivanovic also posted second-round wins at Wimbledon.
A 23rd-seeded Williams improved to a career 46-7 at the All England Club with a 6-2, 6-2 spanking of Czech Hana Sromova. The five-time Grand Slam event champion captured this grass-court extravaganza in 2000, 2001 and 2005 and was the 2002 and 2003 runner-up to her younger sister Serena.
The former U.S. Open champion and 2006 French Open runner-up Kuznetsova handled American Bethanie Mattek 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, while the 2007 French Open finalist and sixth-seeded Ivanovic bested American Meilen Tu 6-4, 6-3 to advance at the AEC. Ivanovic gave way to reigning world No. 1 Justine Henin in the final at Roland Garros earlier this month.
Eighth-seeded Russian Anna Chakvetadze cruised past Tatiana Poutchek of Belarus 6-2, 6-1, while 10th-seeded Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova struggled to get past Russian veteran Elena Likhovtseva 7-5, 7-6 (7-3).
In other second-round action involving top-16 seeds, No. 11 Russian Nadia Petrova pasted Indian Sania Mirza 6-2, 6-2; No. 12 Russian Elena Dementieva, a two-time Grand Slam runner-up, drubbed Czech Iveta Benesova 6-2, 6-2; No. 14 Czech Nicole Vaidisova vaulted past veteran Aussie Nicole Pratt 6-3, 6-2; and No. 15 Swiss Patty Schnyder overcame Italian Roberta Vinci 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.