NEW YORK (AFP) - World number two Jelena Jankovic struggled but held on to beat Sofia Arvidsson 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5 in the second round of the 20.6 million dollar US Open on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old Serbian has reached two semi-finals in Grand Slams this year (French Open and Australian Open) but has never made it to a final in 20 career major appearances.

Jankovic has six career singles titles but just one victory to show for her consistent play. Pesky Swede Arvidsson made Jankovic work for Wednesday's win.

"It was really tough. I am completely out of breath," second-seeded Jankovic said immediately after the two-hour, 45-minute match.

"I was pushed to the limit. The last time I played her, she was up 5-1 in third and I had to come back."

Jankovic, of Serbia, moves through to the third round where she will face China's Zheng Jie who beat Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday. Zheng reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon earlier this year.

Beijing Olympic gold medallist Elena Dementieva beat Pauline Parmentier of France 6-2, 6-1.

Russia's Dementieva, who is ranked sixth in the world, moved through to the third round where she will face Great Britain's Anne Keothavong who surprised 25th seeded Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.

Another Olympian Vera Zvonareva, of Russia, was sent crashing out of the event, losing her second round match 6-3, 6-3 to unseeded Tatiana Perebiynis.

For the 23-year-old Zvonareva this is the first time she hasn't made it to at least the third round in her sixth US Open appearance.

Zvonareva, who is seeded eighth, collected her sixth career title earlier this year before winning the women's singles bronze at the Beijing Olympics.

Zvonareva was in the same side of the draw as Jankovic and Lindsay Davenport who takes to the court later in the day as part of the evening session.

On the men's side of the draw, Russian Nikolay Davydenko beat Dudi Sela 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 and Spain's Nicolas Almagro brushed aside Frank Dancevic, of Canada, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.