Former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova booked a quarterfinal berth at the US Open on Monday, beating Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-2, 6-3.
It was an efficient 74-minute performance from the fourth-seeded Russian, champion in 2004, who set up a meeting with Hungarian Agnes Szavay.
Szavay defeated Ukrainian Julia Vakulenko 6-4, 7-6 (7-1) in a battle of the unseeded players to make it to the last eight of the US Open for the first time.
The 18-year-old Azarenka, who had beaten Martina Hingis in the previous round, looked overawed as Kuznetsova cruised throu-gh the first set.
Azarenka then lifted her game and led 2-0 in the second but Kuznetsova won six of the next seven games to reach the last eight for the first time since her 2004 triumph.
Roddick advances
Meanwhile, former cha-mpion Andy Roddick was awarded a place in the men’s quarterfinals when Tomas Berdych retired with breathing problems.
The American fifth seed was leading 7-6, 2-0 when Czech Berdych quit, setting up Roddick for a likely clash with three-times defending champion Roger Federer. Berdych consulted the trainer on several occasions in the first set but still managed to fight back from a break down and force a set point.
However, Roddick won the tie-break 8-6 and once he broke in the second game of the second set to lead 2-0, Berdych decided he could not go on.
Sania-Bethanie win
In women’s doubles, India’s Sania Mirza and her American partner Bethanie Mattek pulled off a massive upset in the third round. The 16th seeds rallied from the loss of the first set to battle past second seeds American Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur of Australia 2-6, 7-5, 7-5 and enter the quarterfinals.
Also on Monday, Leander Paes and his American partner Meghann Shaughnessy made it through to the semifinals of the mixed doubles competition after a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 victory over the American duo of Ashley Harkleroad and Justin Gimelstob.
There wasn’t such good news for Poojashree Venka-tesh. Making her Grand Slam debut, she was outcla-ssed by Korean Sung-Hee Han 6-3, 6-2 in a first-round Junior girls’ singles match.
Venus marches on
On Sunday, Venus Will-iams served her way into the quarterfinals with an impressive straight-set victory, setting up a possible clash with sister Serena in the final four stage.
Venus never lost her serve during a 6-4, 6-2 drubbing of Ana Ivanovic, while Serena stopped France's Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-4.
A Venus-Serena match-up would be their fourth at Flushing Meadows and the first since meeting in the 2005 fourth round.
Standing in the way of Serena's possible clash with Venus is top seed and world number one Justine Henin, who demolished 15th seed Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-2 in just 59 minutes.
Venus will next face third seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 winner over 19th seed Sybille Bammer of Austria.
Nadal cruises
On the men's side, second seed Rafael Nadal said he continued to suffer from nagging injuries to both knees but surged to a 7-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory over Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Third seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia recovered from his four-hour, 44-minute victory over Radek Stepanek to ease past Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro 6-1, 6-3, 6-4. Eighth seed Tommy Robredo of Spain was eliminated, falling 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 to 19-year-old Ernests Gulbis of Latvia.
US OPEN RESULTS
US Open results, prefix denotes seeding:
Men’s singles, fourth round: 5-Andy Roddick (US) bt 9-Tomas Berdych (Cze) 7-6 (8-6), 2-0 retd.
Third round: Ernests Gulbis (Lat) bt 8-Tommy Robredo (Spa) 6-1, 6-3, 6-2; 3-Novak Djokovic (Ser) bt Juan Martin Del Potro (Arg) 6-1, 6-3, 6-4; 17-Carlos Moya (Spa) bt Philipp Kohlschre-iber (Ger) 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) 4-6, 6-4; Stanislas Wawrinka (Swi) bt Robby Ginepri (US) 5-7, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; 23-Juan Monaco (Arg) bt Agustin Calleri (Arg) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 6-4; 2-Rafael Nadal (Spa) bt Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Fra) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, 6-1; 20-Juan Ignacio Chela (Arg) bt 12-Ivan Ljubicic (Cro) 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Women’s singles, fourth round: 18-Shahar Peer (Isr) bt 30-Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol) 6-4, 6-1; Agnes Szavay (Hun) bt Julia Vakulenko (Ukr) 6-4, 7-6 (7-1); 4-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) bt Victoria Azare-nka (Blr) 6-2, 6-3; 3-Jelena Jankovic (Ser) bt 19-Sybille Bammer (Aut) 6-4, 4-6, 6-1; 1-Justine Henin (Bel) bt 15-Dinara Safina (Rus) 6-0, 6-2; 12-Venus Williams (US) bt 5-Ana Ivanovic (Ser) 6-4, 6-2.
