‘FED EXPRESS’ CRUISING FASTER
Star tennis player Roger Federer amazes Nick Kyrgios to reach the US Open last 16
Five-time champion Roger Federer found a new way to amaze over at the weekend as he reached the US Open last 16 with a 6-4, 6-1, 7-5 victory over Nick Kyrgios.
The second-seeded Swiss withstood an early onslaught from the unpredictable Aussie, firing 51 winners that included an unlikely forehand flicked around the net post.
“Definitely a bit of luck and good feet,” Federer said of the shot that had Kyrgios wideeyed at the net.
The wonder shot was the talk of the day – but the night belonged to 2014 champion Marin Cilic and 19-year-old Australian Alex de Minaur, who battled for four hours at the Louis Armstrong Stadium before Cilic pulled off a 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 victory.
“Incredible fighting spirit,” said Cilic, who booked a fourthround meeting with Belgian David Goffin.
Federer will take on Australian John Millman, who reached the last 16 of a major for the first time with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin. If he makes it past Millman, Federer could find Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic waiting in the last eight. Djokovic, US winner in 2011 and 2015, beat Richard Gasquet 6-2, 6-3, 6-3.
Djokovic saved all five breakpoints he faced to book a meeting with Joao Sousa of Portugal.
Angelique Kerber, the 2016 US Open winner tying to become the third woman in the last 20 years to win both Wimbledon and the US Open in the same season, was bundled out by Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Germany’s Alexander Zverev, the 21-year-old sensation who has lifted titles in Munich, Madrid and Washington this year and reached finals in Miami and Rome, fell 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 to veteran compatriot Philippe Kohlschreiber.
Kohlschreiber will seek a quarterfinal berth against Kei Nishikori after the Japanese downed Argentine Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1.
Kerber’s defeat followed the early exits of world number one Simona Halep and number two Caroline Wozniacki.
Fifth seed Petra Kvitova was also ousted, the two-time Wimbledon champion falling 7-5, 6-1 to rising Belarussian star Aryna Sabalenka. The 29th seed Cibulkova moves on to face 2017 finalist Madison Keys, who shook off a slow start to beat Serbian Aleksandra Krunic 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Sabalenka will play Japan’s Naomi Osaka, who crushed Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-0, 6-0.
Sixth-seeded Caroline Garcia was beaten 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) by Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro, and Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova sprang a surprise, too, with a 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 7-6 (7/1) victory over 13th-seeded Belgian Kiki Bertens.
Vondrousova will play Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko, who defeated Czech Katerina Siniakova 6-4, 6-0.
Suarez Navarro, seeded 30th, next faces 2006 champion Maria Sharapova, who defeated 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2.