Western & Southern Open: Djokovic, Medvedev, Osaka cruise into quarters; Serena, Murray out

World No 1 Novak Djokovic won his 20th straight match of 2020 with a hard-fought 6-2, 6-4 victory over Tennys Sandgren while former world No 1 players Andy Murray and Serena Williams bowed out of the Western & Southern Open in New York on Tuesday.

Djokovic, who captured the Australian Open in February, needed six match points to tough out the straight sets victory and reach the quarter-finals of the hardcourt tournament. Djokovic breezed through the final game by winning four straight points, closing it out with a cross-court forehand winner to take it in 88 minutes on Tuesday.

“All in all it was a great performance,” said Djokovic. “I felt better and played better than last night. I am going in a great direction.”

American Sandgren, who is ranked 55th in the world, made the Serb work for the victory as he survived five match points in the ninth game of the second set.

Djokovic advances to the quarter-finals where he will play German Jan-Lennard Struff, who defeated seventh seed David Goffin 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

“I served well,” he said. “But I can still get better.” Djokovic had pulled out of doubles on Sunday with pain in his neck, but did not appear to be bothered by the injury against Sandgren. “The neck is doing well,” he said.

Earlier in the day, defending champion Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, swept past Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 6-3 while fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas beat John Isner 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/4).

The big-serving Milos Raonic ended former champion an wildcard entrant Andy Murray’s solid run in the hard-court event with a strong 6-2, 6-2. The former world No 1 had beaten Frances Tiafoe and fifth seed Alexnader Zverev to reach his first Masters third round in over two years.

In women’s action, 13th seed Maria Sakkari fought back from the brink defeat to stun Serena Williams, 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-1. The Greek player trailed by a set and a break in her first meeting against the American but rallied to knock out the former champion.

It was the second straight two-hour-plus match for Williams who at 38 was trying to become the oldest winner of the event. She still holds the record, having won this event in 2015 at age 33.

Williams survived a scare in her opening match, prevailing in a two hour, 48-minute marathon over qualifier Arantxa Rus. It was her longest match since 2012.

“It is hard to play the way I have been playing and stay positive,” Williams said. “To play nine hours in a week is too much. I don’t usually play like that. It is all new for me.”

Williams made seven double faults and won just 66% of her first serve points against Sakkari. After losing the second set in a tiebreaker she tossed her racket over her shoulder into the empty stands behind her.

Fourth seeded Naomi Osaka, the only top 10 player left in the draw, rolled over Dayana Yastremska in straight sets 6-3, 6-1, sealing the win when Yastremska was called for a foot fault while serving on match point.

Japan’s Osaka blasted eight aces, won 83 percent of her first serve points and broke Yastremska’s serve four times. Osaka moves to the quarter-finals where she will face Anett Kontaveit, who defeated Marie Bouzkova 6-3, 6-3.

In other matches Tuesday, Johanna Konta edged out former winner Vera Zvonareva 6-4, 6-2 to book her spot in the quarter-finals. The two former top five players battled for 80 minutes with Konta hitting five aces and making just three double faults.

Meanwhile former champion Victoria Azarenka continued her strong run in New York beating Alize Cornet, 6-4, 7-5. This is the former world No 1’s first WTA quater-final in over a year.

This week’s no-spectator event is a tuneup for the US Open which begins on August 31 on the same New York courts. This tournament was moved from Cincinnati to establish a quarantine bubble in New York for the upcoming Grand Slam.

Results

Men

3rd rd

Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt David Goffin (BEL x7) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4

Daniil Medvedev (RUS x3) bt Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 6-3, 6-3

Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x8) bt Karen Khachanov (RUS x11) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2

Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Tennys Sandgren (USA) 6-2, 6-4

Reilly Opelka (USA) bt Matteo Berrettini (ITA x6) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)

Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x4) bt John Isner (USA x16) 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/4)

Milos Raonic (CAN) bt Andy Murray (SCO) 6-2, 6-2

Filip Krajinovic (SRB) bt Márton Fucsovics (HUN) 6-2, 6-1

Women

3rd rd

Maria Sakkari (GRE x13) bt Serena Williams (USA x3) 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1

Elise Mertens (BEL/N.14) bt Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) 6-2, 6-3

Anett Kontaveit (EST/N.12) bt Marie Bouzkova (CZE) 6-3, 6-3

Johanna Konta (GBR/N.8) bt Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 6-4, 6-2

Jessica Pegula (USA) bt Aryna Sabalenka (BLR x5) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3

Naomi Osaka (JPN x4) bt Dayana Yastremska (UKR x16) 6-3, 6-1

Victoria Azarenka (BLR) bt Alize Cornet (FRA) 6-4, 7-5

Ons Jabeur (TUN) bt Christina McHale (USA) 6-3, 6-0