New York, USA, 30 August 2012 | AAP

Sam Stosur is happy to fly under the radar as Kim Clijsters’ premature farewell overshadowed another commanding performance from Australia’s defending US Open champion.

Almost without notice, Stosur stormed into the third round with a 6-3 6-0 dispatch of Romanian qualifier Edina Gallovits-Hall on Wednesday.

The seventh seed has conceded just five games in four sets during her opening two wins.

But her march through the draw has been largely lost in the hype over Clijsters’ departure from the game and the spotlight beaming down on superstars like Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and world No.1 Victoria Azarenka.

“It’s fine. I’ve got no problem being in the position that I’m in,” Stosur said after booking a date on Friday with American Varvara Lepchenko, the 31st seed who ousted fellow Australian Anastasia Rodionova 6-2 6-2.

“I would have thought Kim retiring should be the main story no matter who wins today.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Whatever the case, I’m sure as the tournament goes on, people win, people lose, and the stories always change.”

Stosur has won 13 of her past 14 matches at Flushing Meadows, her last defeat coming at the hands of Clijsters in the 2010 quarterfinals.

The seventh seed could have met Clijsters in the fourth round, but the Belgian’s surprise 7-6(4) 7-6(5) loss on Wednesday to Melbourne-born Brit Laura Robson left Stosur facing a likely last-16 showdown with in-form Li Na instead.

Stosur said Clijsters would be missed, but the former world No.1’s exit is not the worst result for the Queenslander – Stosur lost all five career encounters with Clijsters, four of them in straight sets.

“If that was the way it was going to pan out, that would have been great,” Stosur said.

“I remember playing Kim a couple years ago in the quarters here. I lost 6-3 in the third. She’s one of those players I never was able to beat when we played.

“If it worked out that way, that would have been exciting. I guess it’s not going to happen now.”