Swede pushes Jankovic close

World number two Jelena Jankovic was pushed all the way by Sofia Arvidsson before reaching the third round of the US Open.

The Serbian star lost a tight second set before recovering to beat the tenacious Swede 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 in three close sets. Both players had chances in a marathon third set before an exhausted Jankovic triumphed in two hours and 44 minutes.

"It was really tough - I am completely out of breath," she said.

Third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova and fifth seed Elena Dementieva also won, but eighth seed Vera Zvonareva crashed out at Flushing Meadows. The Russian lost 6-3 6-3 to unseeded Ukrainian Tatiana Perebiynis.

Lindsay Davenport beat Alisa Kleybanova 7-5 6-3 in the night match.

The 1998 champion was repeatedly pegged back by the Russian teenager in a scrappy match, but eventually prevailed in one hour 31 minutes.

"I didn't play quite as well as I did (in the first round)," said the 32-year-old American. "Didn't find my rhythm but sometimes you just have to get through these matches."