By Tennis Panorama News
FLUSHING MEADOWS, New York - Serena Williams advances to fourth round, Novak Djokovic continues winning ways, Roger Federer fights off Marin Cilic, Francesca Schiavone escapes from match point, Jelena Jankovic upset as the list of retirements reaches a milestone on day six of the U.S. Open.
Serena Williams into the fourth round
She may be only the 28th seed but she’s the clear-cut favorite for the title – Serena Williams dominated 4th seed Victoria Azarenka early but had to fend off the Belarusian in the second set capturing the contest 6-1, 7-6 (5) to move on to the fourth round of the US Open.
“I think the whole match was a semifinal –At the end of the day, it was a third round. I’m only in the round of 16 now,” said Williams.
Azarenka on her opponent: “She’s playing at a higher level than I’ve seen her play.
“To have somebody going at you like that, it’s a little bit painful. You try to do your best, but somebody’s on fire.”
Williams will face Ana Ivanovic in the fourth round. Ivanovic stopped young American Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-4 in the evening session in Arthur Ashe stadium. As for playing Williams, Serena will be “favorite, that’s for sure—I know I can give her a tough match. She beat me in the past, but maybe I can go for revenge on Monday.”
World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki defeated American Vania King 6-2, 6-4.
“It’s great to be through,” said Wozniacki. ” You know, I was fighting a lot out there, getting quite a lot of balls back. But it’s quite windy out there, so it was difficult to play. Definitely the serve was difficult, as well, because it wasn’t just going one way, the wind, it was going everywhere. Yeah, you had to keep the margin over the net and from the lines.”
The Dane will face Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova next.
In the “sweet sixteen”
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic routined Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the evening session on Saturday to advance to the round of sixteen.
Third seeded Roger Federer was pushed to four sets by 27th seeded Marin Cilic 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. “Coming in I knew it was gonna be tricky,” said Federer. “And I’m happy that I was able to counter his pace and his good play. I mean, it was a tricky match, especially at one set all. In the third set sort of in the beginning I thought that was a key moment because he had momentum on his side. I was not returning and serving exactly the way I wanted, but I was able to turn it around and finished strong in the set. Then in the fourth things were a bit easier. Tough match from start to finish, really, because also the first set could have gone differently. I know that.”
American Mardy Fish needed three hours and twenty minutes to end South African Kevin Andeson’s US Open 6-4, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3),
Fish will next face No. 11 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, who beat No. 19 Fernando Verdasco of Spain, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.
Comeback kid
Francesca Schiavone rallied from matchpoint down to topple South Africa’s Chanelle Scheepers 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-3
“It’s great to come back after fight like this” Schiavone said. “In the meantime, it’s bad to arrive there. Because she was good,
she was consistent, but I really didn’t do my best to arrive in that moment. Then in the third set I think I played much better.
With serve, with forehand, I start to push like I had to.”
Former US Open finalist Jelena Jankovic of Serbia was upset by Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova the 17th seed 6-4, 6-4.
Record setting retirements
With the retirements of two players on Saturday the total number for this year’s US open is now at 14 – a new record for any Grand Slam tournament in the open era. The previous record was 12.
Advancing Seeds
Women
(1) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. Vania King (USA) 62 64
(28) Serena Williams (USA) d. (4) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 61 76(5)
(7) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d. Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) 57 76(5) 63 (saved 1mp)
(10) Andrea Petkovic (GER) d. (18) Roberta Vinci (ITA) 64 60
(15) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) d. Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB) 64 62
(16) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d. (WC) Sloane Stephens (USA) 63 64
Men
[1] N Djokovic (SRB) d N Davydenko (RUS) 63 64 62
[3] R Federer (SUI) d [27] M Cilic (CRO) 63 46 64 62
[8] M Fish (USA) d K Anderson (RSA) 64 76(4) 76(3)
[11] J Tsonga (FRA) d [19] F Verdasco (ESP) 63 75 64
[22] A Dolgopolov (UKR) d I Karlovic (CRO) 67(4) 62 64 64
Seeds Upset
(17) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) d. (11) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 64 64
[20] J Tipsarevic (SRB) d [9] T Berdych (CZE) 64 50 ret. (right shoulder)
J Ferrero (ESP) d [31] M Granollers (ESP) 61 43 ret. (back)
For more in-depth tennis coverage visit tennispanorama.com.
RELATED VIDEO: Venus Williams forced out of U.S. Open.