Henin breezes to Zurich win

Top-seeded Belgian Justin Henin opened play at the hardcourt Zurich Open on Thursday with a 6-3 6-1 triumph over unseeded Russian Vera Zvonareva in second-round action.

Henin's path to the final in the top of the draw has become increasingly easier during the last two days as every other seeded player has been upset.

On Wednesday, third seed Jelena Jankovic and number eight seed Amelie Mauresmo made second-round exits and seventh-seeded Daniela Hantuchova followed suit early on Thursday when she was toppled by lucky loser Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-3 6-3.

It is not as if Henin needs the extra help, considering she has won her last three tournaments including her second career US Open crown.

She captured her last title - the 37th of her career - at Stuttgart two weeks ago, needing three sets to dispatch Tatiana Golovin in the final.

The result was the only time that Henin had dropped a set over her last 17 matches. She has not lost a match since her shocking collapse against Marion Bartoli in the Wimbledon semi-finals.

Winning eight titles this season and qualifying for the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships, Henin also already has clinched the world number one ranking through the end of the year. It is the third time that the Belgian will end a year top of the rankings.

The 25-year-old's opponent in the last eight will be Radwanska, a native of Poland who secured her spot in the draw when defending champion Maria Sharapova backed out due to a shoulder injury.

The 18-year-old has made the most of the tournament to this point, knocking off Shahar Peer in the first round and upsetting Hantuchova, a finalist here last year.

Though she avoided Hantuchova, second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova got a scare on Thursday before battling to a 2-6 6-4 7-5 victory against unseeded Austrian Sybille Bammer.