Former champion Venus Williams set up a US Open fourth-round showdown with Kim Clijsters by defeating Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia 6-2, 7-5.
Clijsters, who is on the comeback trail after taking two years out of the sport to marry and have a baby, earlier defeated fellow Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 6-0, 6-2.
The two played 10 times before Clijsters walked away from tennis in May of 2007, with Williams leading 6-4.
But it was Clijsters who won their last meeting 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 in a quarter-final tie here in 2005 en route to her only Grand Slam title win.
Williams again wore heavy strapping around her painful right knee and she looked in difficulty at times, especially on her serve.
After winning the first serve, she fell a break down early in the second before composing herself and turning on the power to overtake Rybarikova, a 20-year-old from Bratislava who has shot up the WTA rankings this year and is currently ranked 46th.
Asked what she thought about playing Clijsters again, Williams replied: "She is playing well and it's great to have her back. It's a boost for women's tennis.
"She moves so well and her game goes up with the level."
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