US Open Update: Serena, Djokovic Progress to Last 8

Women’s top seed Serena Williams beat Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi to reach the last eight of a Grand Slam for the first time in 2014 at the US Open.

The defending champion beat Kanepi 6-3 6-3 in 65 minutes to set up Flavia Panneta in the quarter-finals.

The win keeps Williams on course to become only the second woman to win three consecutive US Open titles since the Open Era began in 1968.

The American, who will be 33 years old this month, is in line to emulate compatriot Chris Evert, who won the US Open women’s singles tittle four times in succession from 1975 to 1978.

Pennetta, the 11th seed, beat Australian Casey Dellacqua 7-5 6-2 to reach the last eight in New York for the fifth time in seven years.

Novak Djokovic Beat Philipp Kohlschreiber in US Open Round of 16.
Novak Djokovic Beat Philipp Kohlschreiber in US Open Round of 16.

2011 men’s singles champion Novak Djokovic reached his 22nd consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final with a straight-sets win over Philipp Kohlschreiber.

The top seed sealed a 6-1 7-5 6-4 win over the German and will next play Andy Murray after the Briton beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-5 7-5 6-4.

Third seed Stan Wawrinka beat Spain’s Tommy Robredo 7-5 4-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-2.

Japan’s Kei Nishikori beat fifth seed Milos Raonic in a five-set men’s singles encounter that equalled the record as the longest match ever at the US Open.

The tenth seed needed four hours and 19 minutes to record a 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (6-8) 7-5 6-4 victory over the Canadian, matching the time of a 1993 match between Swedes Mats Wilander and Mikael Pernfors and the third-round tie between Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber and John Isner of the United States in 2012.

Kei Nishikori Ousts Milos Raonic to Set Up Wawrinka in US Open Quarter-Finals.
Kei Nishikori Ousts Milos Raonic to Set Up Wawrinka in US Open Quarter-Finals.

The 24-year-old becomes the first Japanese man since Zenzo Shimidzu in 1922 to reach the last eight in FLushing Meadows.

Nishikori will face third seed Wawrinka of Switzerland in the quarter-finals.

“He’s been playing really well, very strong player. I’ll try to recover tomorrow & be ready for the next one,” Nishikori said on facing Australian Open champion Wawrinka.

Arthur Ashe Stadium

Flavia Pennetta (Ita) (11) beat Casey Dellacqua (Aus) 7-5 6-2

Serena Williams (US) (1) beat Kaia Kanepi (Est) 6-3 6-3

Andy Murray (GB) (8) beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Fra) (9) 7-5 7-5 6-4

Louis Armstrong Stadium

Novak Djokovic (Ser) (1) beat Philipp Kohlschreiber (Ger) 6-1 7-5 6-4

Ekaterina Makarova (Rus) (17) beat Eugenie Bouchard (Can) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4

Stan Wawrinka (Sui) (3) beat Tommy Robredo (Spa) (16) 7-5 4-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-2

Other Results

Victoria Azarenka (Blr) (16) beat Aleksandra Krunic (Ser) 4-6 6-4 6-4

Kei Nishikori (Jpn) (10) beat Milos Raonic (Can) (5) 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (6-8) 7-5 6-4

“It was really tight and it was really tough, I had to concentrate all the time against Milos,” Nishikori said, after his gruelling five-sets win over Raonic.