NEW YORK -- Former champions Lindsay Davenport and Serena Williams powered into the third round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday, using booming serves and returns to advance in routs.

Davenport, who began her Grand Slam career here in 1991 at age 15 and captured the championship in 1998, beat Emilie Loit 6-0, 6-2 before Williams, the 1999 champion, defeated Denisa Chladkova 6-1, 6-1.

Both former champs needed just 18 minutes to win their first sets and establish the trend of the match. Davenport finished in 42 minutes and Williams in 44.

"So far, so good," Davenport said.

Top-seeded Martina Hingis took even less time, as she needed only 37 minutes to batter big-serving Russian Lina Krasnoroutskaya 6-0, 6-2.

Hingis hardly put a foot wrong, finding the range on 84 percent of her first serves and drawing 26 unforced errors from Krasnoroutskaya.

Hingis will next play the winner of the second round match between Iva Majoli of Croatia and Germany's Barbara Rittner.

The 10th-seeded Williams experienced none of the trouble she had in the first round, when she dropped the first set against Anca Barna. She boomed serves as high as 117 mph and zipped seven aces in the easy victory.

"It was a lot better than my first-round match," Williams said.

She believes that, even with her low seeding, she is a threat to win another title.

"I'm actually a better player now," she said. "I have a better game and as much desire, if not more."

Also advancing were No. 7 Monica Seles, who beat Russia's Evgenia Koulikovskaya, 6-1, 6-4; No. 12 Meghann Shaughnessy, who defeated Asa Carlsson 7-6 (4), 6-3; and Wimbledon finalist Justine Henin, No. 6, who came from behind to defeat Patty Schnyder 6-7, 6-1, 6-4.

Davenport's power game proved too much for Loit. She was deadly on first serves, missing just three of 21, and her serves, clocked at just under 100 mph, produced 10 aces.

The 6-foot-2 Davenport also exploited her height advantage over the 5-foot-7 Loit, often driving the ball beyond the French player's reach. Davenport missed 2½ months early in the season because of a right knee bruise and used the time off to lift weights and get stronger. It was evident against Loit.

"I've played four or five of the top 10," Loit said. "She is easily the most impressive player I've been up against. The others at least allow you to play a bit. Against her, I could never get into the match."

"I feel great," Davenport said. "Ever since the knee, I've been pretty much healthy. That's been the key to my success this summer. My focus is to win a Grand Slam. I haven't won one since the beginning of last year."

She came into the Open after reaching the semis at Wimbledon, the 12th time in her past 15 Slams she has advanced at least that far.

Jennifer Capriati celebrated an emotional return to the National Tennis Center with a comfortable 6-2, 6-1 victory over Amanda Hopmans on center court Tuesday night.

A native New Yorker, Capriati was a semifinalist at the Open in 1991 at age 15, a lifetime ago, really. She returned as this season's Grand Slam queen, winner of the Australian and French Open, a semifinalist at Wimbledon, ranked No. 2 in the world.

In Tuesday's other major matches, defending champion Venus Williams eliminated Lenka Dlhopolcova 6-2, 6-3; Kim Clijsters, a finalist against Capriati at the French Open, defeated Pavlina Nola 6-1, 6-2; Anke Huber, retiring after this season, beat Emilia Salerni 6-2, 6-4; Lisa Raymond downed Anna Smashnova 6-2, 6-3; and Nathalie Tauziat came from behind for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Cara Black.