ABOVE: Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns a backhand to Joao Sousa of Portugal at the US Open in New York. Djokovic won 6-0, 6-2, 6-2. LEFT: Jelena Ristic, girlfriend of Djokovic, watches as the Serbian plays against Joao Sousa. Ristic is best known for her super-intense expressions during Djokovic’s matches.
NEW YORK: Serena Williams easily won her eagerly-awaited clash with Sloane Stephens at the US Open on Sunday as normal service resumed at the last Grand Slam of the year.
Williams was one of four US Open champions that won on Sunday, sending a clear message to the next generation of rising stars that they will have to wait their turn.
The 31-year-old avenged her loss to Stephens at the Australian Open with an emphatic 6-4, 6-1 victory to keep her title defence on course.
“It’s definitely difficult, especially playing people that you like, that you always want to see do well,” Williams said. “But you have to go out there and kind of put that to the side and realise, I want to do well myself and take every point as it comes.”
Defending men’s champion Andy Murray and world number one Novak Djokovic also won in straight sets, while 2001 winner Lleyton Hewitt turned back the clock to reach the fourth round for the first time since 2006.
Murray, playing in the middle of a hot and steamy day, needed less than two hours to see off Germany’s Florian Mayer 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-2 and advance to the fourth round.
Djokovic was even more ruthless in his centre court night match against Portugal’s Joao Sousa, cruising to a 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 win, while 32-year-old Hewitt wore down Russia’s Evgeny Donskoy 6-3, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-1.
“Obviously when you’ve been to the top you want to keep playing,” said Hewitt, who stunned sixth seed Juan Martin del Potro in the previous round.
“The reason you’re playing is for the majors, and for me, Davis Cup as well. That’s the reason I’m still playing.”
The biggest surprise on a day when most results went as expected was the defeat of women’s third seed Agnieszka Radwanska.
The Pole, who had made it to the quarter-finals or better at the three other Grand Slams this year, crumbled to a 6-4, 6-4 defeat by Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova after she had won the first four games of the match.
Makarova will play China’s Li Na after Asia’s top player accounted for Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 6-0.
Stephens beat Williams in January in the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park to enhance her standing as a future leader of US women’s tennis, but was completely outgunned by a woman bidding to become the oldest to win the US Open since tennis turned professional in 1968.
“Obviously she’s number one in the world for a reason,” said Stephens, 11 years younger than Williams. “I thought she played really well.
“All in all I thought I competed well and played well. That’s all you can do really.”
Williams will play Carla Suarez Navarro in the quarter-finals, the Spaniard having upset Germany’s eighth-seed Angelique Kerber 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3).
Murray struggled to impose himself on Mayer in the opening set but once he adapted to the humidity and gusting winds it was all smooth sailing.
“It was tough conditions. It was very, very humid,” Murray said. “I was struggling breathing for most of the match.”
Murray’s opponent in the fourth round will be Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin, who beat Italy’s Andreas Seppi 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 3-6, 6-1, with Tomas Berdych looming in the quarter-finals.
Berdych, seeded fifth, made the semi-finals at last year’s US Open and has been in great form at Flushing Meadows this week, reaching the last 16 without dropping a set.
The Czech dispatched Julien Benneteau of France 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 to set up a fourth-round clash with Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka, who defeated Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (1), 7-6 (7).
Djokovic has yet to lose a set in the tournament and the 26-year-old was never in any danger against the 95th-ranked Sousa.
The 2011 US Open champion faced just two break points on his own serve as he raced to victory in 100 minutes.
“Just doing my job, win in straight sets and spend as less time on court as possible,” he said.
The Serbian’s next opponent is Marcel Granollers, one of four Spaniards in the men’s last 16, who knocked the last American out when he edged wildcard Tim Smyczek 6-4, 4-6, 0-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Bob and Mike Bryan did give America’s men some cheer when they stayed on course to achieve a rare calendar-year Grand Slam in doubles after coming back to beat Canadians Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil 6-7 (1), 7-5, 6-2.
The Bryan brothers have already won each of the last four Grand Slam doubles titles, starting with last year’s US Open, but are bidding to claim all four in the same calendar year.
The only men to have achieved the feat were the Australian pair of Ken McGregor and Frank Sedgman in 1951. REUTERS
In-form Nadal back in Spain Davis Cup team
MADRID: Rafael Nadal is rejoining Spain’s Davis Cup team for their play-off against Ukraine from September 13-15 in Madrid after a long absence caused by a knee injury.
Nadal, a 12-time Grand Slam champion, has won nine titles since returning in February from a seven-month injury layoff.
Alongside the 27-year-old, countrymen Tommy Robredo and Fernando Verdasco are also returning to the Davis Cup side, the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation said yesterday.
“Rafael Nadal is returning to the team after being absent for the last five play-offs because of a serious knee injury that kept him off the courts for seven months last year,” the federation said.
Nadal last played with the Davis Cup team in the final held in Seville in December 2011 when Spain won their fifth title, beating Argentina 3-1. Robredo, who is returning to the team for the first time since March 2010, will play doubles with Marc Lopez, who was in the 2012 final that Spain lost to Czech Republic.
The other singles player is Verdasco, who had not played for Spain since the Seville 2011 final.
Spain are playing Ukraine for their World Group survival having been defeated 3-2 by Canada in early February. REUTERS
