Share

'Big 3' sail through in New York

New York - Novak Djokovic reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the 25th consecutive time while Serena Williams racked up her 80th US Open win as the top seeds eased into the third round on Thursday.

They were joined in the last 32 by 2012 winner Andy Murray and reigning Wimbledon women's champion Petra Kvitova.

But former world number one Ana Ivanovic, the eighth seed, and 2011 champion Samantha Stosur were knocked out on a day when stiff winds brought new challenges at Flushing Meadows for players already tackling plus-30 degree heat (+90F).

World number one and top seed Djokovic breezed past France's Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-1, 6-3, 6-0, firing 13 aces and 33 winners as the 2011 champion comfortably remained on course for a fifth successive final appearance.

"It's very windy, but I managed to adjust to the conditions that obviously are not easy for myself and my opponent," said Djokovic, who next meets Sam Querrey of the United States, after his brief 90-minute appearance.

"I managed to play better in the important moments, play solid, use my serve efficiently -- with accuracy rather than speed."

World number one Williams, chasing a third successive New York title, her sixth in total and an 18th major, sent 25 winners past Vania King and broke serve six times, wrapping up a 6-1, 6-0 victory on windswept Arthur Ashe Stadium in just 56 minutes.

It was her second win over an American at the tournament this week after beating teenager Taylor Townsend and next she will face another in Varvara Lepchenko for a place in the last 16.

"It's so hard to play in the wind but I am happy to get through a solid match with the conditions today," said the top seed whose colourful leopard print dress was as striking as her tennis.

"It wasn't easy, but you have to be able to adjust. I had fun out here, I enjoy playing out on Arthur Ashe court."

Eighth-seeded Murray brushed aside 27-year-old German qualifier Matthias Bachinger, the world number 235, with a convincing 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 win.

Murray exhibited none of the physical problems he suffered in the first round when he was cramping, sending down 36 winners past Bachinger, a contemporary from his junior days.

"It was extremely windy, both of us struggled a bit early on but once I started to get used to the wind I was able to adjust my tactics a bit," said the Scot.

Canadian fifth seed Milos Raonic made the third round with a 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) win over German qualifier Peter Gojowczyk on the back of 26 aces and 64 winners.

Eighth-seeded Ana Ivanovic suffered her earliest US Open exit in five years when the former world number one lost 7-5, 6-4 to Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, the world number 42.

The Serb followed fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska out of the tournament after the Pole had been beaten by Peng Shuai 24 hours earlier.

The former French Open champion was undone by 29 unforced errors.

"It's very disappointing. It's never easy to finish this early," said Ivanovic. "I'm definitely going to assess what went wrong and what I can work on. I really felt it wasn't my game out there today."

Stosur, the 24th seed, squandered two match points in a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10/8) defeat to Estonia's Kaia Kanepi, a six-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist.

There were no such dramas for Kvitova who defeated fellow Czech Petra Cetkovska 6-4, 6-2.

Victoria Azarenka, the runner-up to Williams for the past two years, also made it through, winning nine games in succession from 0-3 down to defeat Christina McHale of the United States 6-3, 6-2.

Fifteen-year-old American CiCi Bellis, who became the youngest winner of a US Open match since 1996 when she won her first round match, went down 6-3, 0-6, 6-2 to Zarina Dyas of Kazakhstan.

The United States only saw three men making the second round -- the country's lowest total in the history of the tournament - but 13th seed John Isner and Querrey have made it to the last 32.

Isner, a quarter-finalist in 2011, beat Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-2 while Querrey beat Spain's Guillermo Garcia Lopez for the fourth time in four meetings - including last week's Winston Salem warm-up - thanks to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory.

Australian 19-year-old Nick Kyrgios, who famously defeated Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon, reached the third round by seeing off Italy's Andreas Seppi 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.

He will next face Spanish veteran Tommy Robredo who came back from two sets to love down for the seventh time in seeing off Italy's Simone Bolelli 5-7, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.

Results on Thursday from the fourth day of the US Open, the final Grand Slam tournament of 2014 (x denotes seeded player):

Men

Second round

Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 6-1, 6-3, 6-0

Sam Querrey (USA) bt Guillermo Garca-Lopez (ESP x28) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x22) bt Michael Llodra (FRA) 6-2 - retired

John Isner (USA x13) bt Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-2

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x9) bt Aleksandr Nedovyesov (KAZ) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP) bt Benoit Paire (FRA) 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3

Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) bt Fernando Verdasco (ESP x31) 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3

Andy Murray (GBR x8) bt Matthias Bachinger (GER) 6-3, 6-3, 6-4

Nick Kyrgios (AUS) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4

Tommy Robredo (ESP x16) bt Simone Bolelli (ITA) 5-7, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-3, 6-2

Kei Nishikori (JPN x10) bt Pablo Andjar (ESP) 6-4, 6-1 - retired

Leonardo Mayer (ARG x23) bt Matthew Ebden (AUS) 6-1, 6-3, 6-4

Victor Estrella Burgos (DOM) bt Borna Coric (CRO) 7-6 (7/2), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2

Milos Raonic (CAN x5) bt Peter Gojowczyk (GER) 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)

Women

Second round

Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Vania King (USA) 6-1, 6-0

Varvara Lepchenko (USA) bt Mona Barthel (GER) 6-4, 6-0

Kaia Kanepi (EST) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS x24) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10/8)

Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP x15) bt CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) 6-3, 6-3

Flavia Pennetta (ITA x11) bt Shelby Rogers (USA) 6-4, 6-3

Nicole Gibbs (USA) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x23) 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3

Casey Dellacqua (AUS x29) bt Wang Qiang (CHN) 4-6, 6-4, 6-2

Karolina Pliskov (CZE) bt Ana Ivanovic (SRB x8) 7-5, 6-4

Petra Kvitova (CZE x3) bt Petra Cetkovska (CZE) 6-4, 6-2

Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) bt Madison Keys (USA x27) 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 7-5

Elena Vesnina (RUS) bt Marina Erakovic (NZL) 7-5, 2-6, 6-4

Victoria Azarenka (BLR x16) bt Christina McHale (USA) 6-3, 6-2

Zarina Dyas (KAZ) bt CiCi Bellis (USA) 6-3, 0-6, 6-2

Ekaterina Makarova (RUS x17) bt Polona Hercog (SLO) 6-1, 6-2

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE x30) bt Monica Niculescu (ROM) 4-6, 6-4, 6-2

Eugenie Bouchard (CAN x7) bt Sorana Cirstea (ROM) 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1158 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1347 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2048 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE