US Open '19: Djokovic, Federer Cruise To Victory, Serena Williams Advances
NEW YORK (AP) — Defending champion Novak Djokovic's left shoulder appeared to be just fine as he put together a straightforward, straight-set victory over Denis Kudla to reach the U.S. Open's fourth round for the 12th appearance in a row.
The top-seeded Djokovic won 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
He had complained about pain in his shoulder and repeatedly was visited by a trainer during his previous match.
Next will be a match Sunday against three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka.
Djokovic has won 36 of his past 37 Grand Slam matches.
He is pursuing a fourth title at the U.S. Open and 17th major trophy overall.
Serena Williams used a seven-game run midway through the match to grab control and moved into the U.S. Open's fourth round for the 18th consecutive appearance with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Karolina Muchova.
Williams had a bit of shakiness with her serve, double-faulting seven times.
Otherwise, she played well, and went from trailing 3-2 at the outset to grabbing the opening set and a 3-0 lead in the second.
Williams is seeking a seventh title at Flushing Meadows and the 24th Grand Slam singles trophy of her career.
On Sunday, she will face 22nd-seeded Petra Martic of Croatia for a quarterfinal berth.
Second-seeded Ash Barty advanced to the round of 16 at the U.S. Open with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Maria Sakkari.
Barty, the reigning French Open champ who faced tough tests in her first two rounds, employed a steady baseline game and took advantage of 39 unforced errors from the 29th-ranked Sakkari.
This is the second year in a row Barty has advanced to the final 16. She next faces the winner of the match later Friday between 18th-seeded Qiang Wang and Fiona Ferro.
Roger Federer won in straight sets for the first time in this year's U.S. Open, downing Daniel Evans 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the round of 16.
Federer, the No. 3 seed and five-time champion at Flushing Meadows, dropped the first set in his previous two rounds but that was not an issue against the 58th-ranked Evans. Federer blasted 48 winners and served up 10 aces en route to the victory, his 18th straight third-round win at the Open.
Next up for Federer is the winner of the match later Friday between 15th-seeded David Goffin and Pablo Carreno Busta.
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