Fighting spectators divert attention from Djokovic victory in New York

There was an old-fashioned fight at the US Open, but not the type tournament officials wanted to see.

Instead of happening on the court, the scuffle broke out in the upper deck, high above Arthur Ashe Stadium where Novak Djokovic and Philipp Petzschner were locked in their own battle.

US Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier said the incident stemmed from a "disagreement over verbiage." Third-seeded Djokovic and Petzschner stopped playing and looked up into the stands while New York police handcuffed the fans and led them out. Nobody was hurt. It was the kind of scene more common at a baseball or football game than a tennis match.

Widmaier said: "It was a hot night in New York. Things happen."

The fracas in the stands came at the end of a day when some of the sport's heavyweights delighted in humbling lesser-known opponents in second round matches.

Each of the five featured matches on centre court was decided in straight sets. At times the quality of tennis was breathtaking and the crowds roared their approval, but it was rarely a fair contest.

Roger Federer's victim was Germany's Andreas Beck. He won the match 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in one hour 41 minutes and even the Swiss master himself was impressed. "It's the perfect start," he said. "I played Monday, had two days off. I had another easy one physically today, and here I am in the third round feeling like I'm completely in the tournament."

Maria Sharapova was also in a hurry, belting Czech Iveta Benesova 6-1, 6-2, but neither of the former champions could match the ruthless display from Caroline Wozniacki.

The Dane needed just 47 minutes to inflict the dreaded 6-0, 6-0 "double bagel" on Taiwan's Chang Kai-chen and remain on course for a meeting with Russian Sharapova in the fourth round.

Russia's Vera Zvonareva, Wimbledon finalist this year, and Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer, semi-finalist at the US Open last season, also registered easy wins on another steamy day when the Extreme Weather Policy was invoked as temperatures climbed past 91 degrees Fahrenheit.

A year ago, Kim Clijsters was the mum hogging the spotlight at the US Open. This time it is Mother Nature. Unrelenting heat and swirling winds have transformed the last grand slam of the year into a battle against the elements and now Hurricane Earl is approaching New York, threatening to dump gallons of rain on the city that never sleeps.

Petzschner landed a few blows on Djokovic but the world No 3 was way too crafty for the German, winning 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 to meet James Blake in the next round.Djokovic's fellow Serb Jelena Jankovic, the women's fourth seed, survived after being pushed to three sets by Mirjana Lucic.

Russian Nikolay Davydenko, however, was left punch-drunk after being hammered 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 by Frenchman Richard Gasquet. "I don't know if I need to have a coach, a mental coach or if I need to go somewhere to change my brain," the sixth seed said.

The casualty rate among the seeds in the first four days of the championship has been almost as brutal as the baking heat with 22 making early exits, including six more on Thursday.

Agnieszka Radwanska, Aravane Rezai and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez were sent tumbling out of the women's draw.

There was an old-fashioned fight at the US Open, but not the type tournament officials wanted to see.

Instead of happening on the court, the scuffle broke out in the upper deck, high above Arthur Ashe Stadium where Novak Djokovic and Philipp Petzschner were locked in their own battle.

US Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier said the incident stemmed from a "disagreement over verbiage." Third-seeded Djokovic and Petzschner stopped playing and looked up into the stands while New York police handcuffed the fans and led them out. Widmaier said: "It was a hot night in New York. Things happen."

The fracas came at the end of a day when some of the sport's heavyweights delighted in humbling lesser-known opponents in second round matches. Each of the five featured matches on centre court was decided in straight sets. At times the quality of tennis was breathtaking and the crowds roared their approval, but it was rarely a fair contest.

Roger Federer's victim was Germany's Andreas Beck. He won 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 and even the Swiss master himself was impressed. "It's the perfect start," he said. "I played Monday, had two days off. I had another easy one physically today, and here I am in the third round.

Meanwhile, Elena Dementieva, the No 12 seed, continued her strong record against Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova with a 7-5, 6-2 win on Arthur Ashe Stadium to earn a spot in the fourth round. After days of clear skies and intense heat, there were a few spots of rain as the match began. Dementieva moved into a 2-0 lead before her game temporarily fell apart and Hantuchova raced away with five unanswered games. Dementieva finally stopped the rot when facing three set points to move within two games of Hantuchova, who still looked on course to win the set. But the rain returned and the players went off court for a few minutes.

Hantuchova lost her rhythm and conceded her break advantage with two consecutive double faults. Dementieva levelled the set before breaking and comfortably serving out.

The second set opened with three consecutive breaks before Dementieva was the first to hold and Hantuchova's faltering play enabled her rival to round off the contest with ease.