Federer shows how it's done
Swiss master ousts Kyrgios to enter last 16, as women's seeds Kerber, Kvitova and Garcia crash out
Five-time champion Roger Federer found a new way to amaze as he reached the US Open last 16 with a 6-4, 6-1, 7-5 victory over Nick Kyrgios yesterday morning (Singapore time).
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 that Kyrgios couldn't believe.
"Definitely a bit of luck and good feet," Federer said of the shot that had Kyrgios wide-eyed at the net.
Federer had the luxury of a two-set lead when the duo's most entertaining exchanges thrilled the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd.
Things would have been much different if Kyrgios could have converted one of four break-points in the seventh game of the opening set.
But Federer escaped, breaking Kyrgios to pocket the first set and dominating the second.
"He's an unbelievable frontrunner," Kyrgios said. "When he gets in front, there's not much you can do."
Federer will be seeking a 13th appearance in the US Open quarter-finals when he plays 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, winner of US Open titles in 2011 and 2015, extended his dominance over Richard Gasquet with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 victory.
"It was the best match of the week so far without a doubt, and one of the best performances of the hardcourt season after Wimbledon," said Djokovic, who warmed up for the US Open by beating Federer in the Cincinnati Masters final.
Djokovic saved all five break-points he faced to book a meeting with Joao Sousa of Portugal, a 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5) winner over France's Lucas Pouille.
The third round was the end of the line for men's and women's fourth seeds from Germany - Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber.
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Kerber, the 2016 US Open winner trying to become the third woman in the last 20 years to win both Wimbledon and the US Open in the same season, los to Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
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 compatriot Philippe Kohlschreiber.
Kerber's defeat followed the early exits of world No. 1 Simona Halep and No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki, while fifth seed Petra Kvitova and sixth seed Caroline Garcia also crashed out.
Kvitova was ousted 7-5, 6-1 by rising Belarussian star Aryna Sabalenka and, while Garcia lost 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) to Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro.
Suarez Navarro, seeded 30th, next faces Maria Sharapova, who defeated last year's French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2. - AFP
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