Lights out for Federer, Sharapova
● Shock exits in US night sessions
Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova crashed out of the US Open on Monday in backto-back seismic shocks under the Arthur Ashe Stadium lights.
Federer, the five-time champion and looking to end his 10year wait to add to his total in New York, was beaten by Australia’s world no 55 John Millman 3-6 7-5 7-6 (9/7) 7-6 (7/3).
It was 20-time major winner Federer’s first loss against a player outside the top 50 in 41 meetings at the US Open.
The world no 2 finished with 77 unforced errors and 10 double faults.
“It was very hot. I felt I couldn’t get any air and I was sweating more and more and became more and more uncomfortable,” Federer said.
“I guess I was happy when the match was over. John dealt with it better – he’s from Brisbane, one of the most humid places in the world!”
The result meant there would be no quarterfinal showdown with old rival Novak Djokovic, who will now face Millman instead.
Sharapova, the 2006 champion, suffered a second successive last-16 exit in New York, blasted off court by Carla Suarez Navarro.
The Spanish player marked her 30th birthday in style with a memorable 6-4 6-3 win over the five-time major champion, whose last slam title was in Paris in 2014.
Federer had cruised through the first set against Millman, who was appearing in his maiden last-16 at the majors.
But the Swiss, who lost in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, where he was defending champion, began to look every bit the 37-year-old he is as he struggled in the humidity.
He squandered two set points in the second set and another in the third set tiebreak as the errors piled up.
Federer was 4-2 up in the fourth set but was reeled in and back-to-back double faults sent him down in the tiebreak.
The contest was over shortly before 1am when he hit a weary forehand wide.
Djokovic, who ended a 54week title drought with his 13th slam title at Wimbledon in July, reached the quarterfinals with a 6-3 6-4 6-3 victory over unseeded Joao Sousa.
Marin Cilic, seeded seven, beat David Goffin of Belgium 76 (8/6) 6-2 6-4 and next takes on Japan’s Kei Nishikori, who saw off Philipp Kohlschreiber, of Germany, 6-3 6-2 7-5.
Cilic defeated Nishikori in the 2014 final.
Sharapova, who was trying to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2012, hit 38 unforced errors and dropped serve six times.
The defeat also ended the former world no 1’s perfect record of 23 wins in night sessions at Flushing Meadows.
Suarez Navarro, who was also a quarterfinalist in New York in 2013, goes on to face American 14th seed Madison Keys, the runner-up in 2017.
Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka, 20, reached her first slam quarterfinal, beating Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-3 2-6 6-4.
Osaka, seeded 20, became the first Japanese woman in the US Open last-eight since Shinobu Asagoe in 2004.
She will next face Lesia Tsurenko, the 36th-ranked Ukrainian who beat Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova 6-7 (3/7) 7-5 6-2. –