Chinese tennis player Wang Yafan crashed out of the US Open on Thursday after being beaten by fifth seed Petra Kvitova 7-5, 6-3 in the second round.

In sweltering conditions, Wang battled hard but did not have enough to overcome the 28-year-old Kvitova.

The Czech converted five of seven break points and fired down four aces to send Wang packing in a match that lasted an hour and 47 minutes on a hot and humid day at Flushing Meadows.

The match looked like it would be a one-sided affair when the twice Wimbledon champion raced to a 4-1 lead in the first set but Wang came roaring back to level the set at 5-5.

Kvitova unleashed her powerful forehand, elevating her play to capture the final two games of the set before cruising to victory.

Elsewhere, fourth seed Angelique Kerber overcame a second-set wobble against Sweden's Johanna Larsson to reach the third round of the tournament. 

The match looked like it would be a cakewalk for the 2016 champion when she cruised through the first set and took a 5-2 lead in the second.

But the hot and humid conditions appeared to wear down the 30-year-old German, who dropped five consecutive games behind shaky serving and a raft of errors as Larsson raised her game.

A 10-minute heat break ahead of the third set rejuvenated Kerber, who seized the momentum as she broke to take a 4-3 lead before smashing a forehand win to end the two hours and 23 minutes thriller. 

Kerber will face Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova while Kvitova will take on 20-year-old Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka. 

(With input from agencies)