Djokovic happy to show a clinical edge in victory
NOVAK Djokovic cruised into the US Open quarter-finals with a 6-3 6-4 6-3 victory over unseeded Joao Sousa.
Following comfortable holds in their opening service games, Djokovic made the first move in an extended third game. The 70-time tour-level winner, after failing to convert his first break point, fired a cross-court backhand passing shot, beyond a stranded Sousa, to move ahead.
Three service holds later, Djokovic played with consistency, while Sousa struggled to find holes in his opponent’s defence. The World No.68 dropped his serve to love, on a double fault, to hand Djokovic the first set.
After trading breaks early in the second set, Djokovic covered the court well, playing with great depth, to extract errors from his opponent.
A tighter third set ensued, with neither man able to manufacture a break-point opportunity through eight games.
But, at the business end of the set, Djokovic discovered his top form. The Wimbledon champion took control on his backhand side, firing winners to earn three break points at 0-40. Djokovic converted his first chance with an overhead down the centre of the court before serving the match out to 30.
Djokovic said he was relieved to get past Sousa in straight sets as temperatures soared again.
“I’m very happy to get this one done in straight sets,” said Djokovic, who left the court for a medical evaluation early in the third set but returned to wrap things up in exactly two hours.
Sousa, who got past 12th-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta and No.17 Luca Pouille to become the first Portuguese man to reach a Grand Slam last-16, was irked by the chair umpire’s refusal to allow a line call challenge in the seventh game of the final set.
Djokovic broke him at love in the next game and served out the match without fuss.
“It was much more difficult than the score indicated,” Djokovic said. “Credit to Joao — he brought a lot of intensity.”
Meanwhile, Kei Nishikori will be hoping to make another deep run at his most successful Grand Slam after he outclassed Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3 6-2 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals.
The Japanese 21st seed, a finalist at Flushing Meadows in 2014 and a semi-finalist in 2016, fired 29 winners to end the run of Kohlschreiber, who had beaten fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the previous round.
Nishikori (right) appeared to be racing towards an easy win before Kohlschreiber unexpectedly broke the 28-year-old to level the third set at 5-5.
But that only delayed the inevitable as Nishikori kept his focus to seal the win and extend his perfect record against the Germanto3-0.
“I was really lucky to finish in three sets — it was really hot on the court,” a sweat-soaked Nishikori said. “I think we both struggled a little bit with the heat.”
Nishikori will next face either seventh seed
Marin Cilic, which will be a rematch of the 2014 final, or Belgian 10th seed David Goffin.
Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares are yet to drop a set in three men’s doubles matches and reached the quarter-finals with a 7-6 (74) 6-4 victory over Dutch pair Robin Haase and Matwe Middelkoop.
The fourth seeds won their second Grand Slam title together here two years ago but have not made it past the last-eight at any of the Slams since.
They next face unseeded pair Radu Albot of Moldova and Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri. • ANDY Murray will not feature in Great Britain’s Davis Cup tie against Uzbekistan in Glasgow next week after deciding to remain in the United States to continue his rehab.
Kyle Edmund, who was suffering with the lingering effects of illness during his first-round loss at the US Open, will also skip the clash but Dan Evans returns for his first Davis Cup appearance since his doping ban.
Evans will be joined by Cameron Norrie, who will lead the team at the Emirates Arena in only his second tie, Jay Clarke, Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot. LAST year’s runner-up Madison Keys returned to the US Open quarter-finals with a 6-1 6-3 win over Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova.
American 14th seed Keys, who was defeated by compatriot Sloane Stephens in last year’s final, fired 25 winners to Cibulkova’s seven.
“I am really glad I got the win,” said Keys after reaching her third Grand Slam quarter-final of the season. “Dominika is a good player so even though I was a set and 2-0 ahead, it wasn’t surprising that she would come back and win a few games. I had to focus on getting some first serves in and wait for the right ball.”
In a scintillating battle between two of the 20-year-old rising stars, No.20 seed Naomi Osaka of Japan fought back from a break down in the final set to outlast No.26 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-3 2-6 6-4, and reach the first Grand Slam quarter-final of her career.
Osaka pulled off a nearly flawless first set before Sabalenka fought back to win the second and take a 2-1 lead in the decider. But Osaka rebounded to take the win in just over two hours.