<p>The US Open women's draw was blown wide open by a series of upsets on Friday but it was business as usual on the men's side with Roger Federer leading a parade of seeds into the third round at the year's final Grand Slam.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The shockwaves began early on another sunny day at Flushing Meadows with 32-year-old qualifier Mirjana Lucic-Baroni dismissing Romanian second seed Simona Halep 7-6 (8-6,) 6-2 to reach the fourth round.<br /><br />The tremors continued as Swiss teen Belinda Bencic ousted sixth-seeded German Angelique Kerber 6-1, 7-5 to reach the round of 16 in her US Open debut.<br /><br />The tournament also lost a fan favourite when Italy's Sara Errani posted her first career win over twice champion and 19th seed Venus Williams, coming out on top in an absorbing roller-coaster clash 6-0, 0-6, 7-6 (7-5).<br /><br />By the time fifth seed Maria Sharapova had closed out the action under the Arthur Ashe Stadium floodlights with a laboured 6-2, 6-4 win over Germany's Sabine Lisicki the top of the women's draw had lost four of the top eight seeds.<br /><br />The top 10 men's seeds, however, remain intact.<br /><br />Federer, Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer, sixth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych and seventh-seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov all advanced on Friday. The highest-ranked casualty was Ernests Gulbis of Latvia, the 11th seed, who was ousted by 45th-ranked Dominic Thiem of Austria 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.<br /><br />Federer, chasing an 18th Grand Slam Title, served up a tidy 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over big-hitting Australian Sam Groth to ease into the third round.<br /><br />Ferrer reached the third round without lifting his racket when Australian Bernard Tomic withdrew with a hip injury, while Dimitrov breezed into the third round with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win over Israel's Dudi Sela.<br /><br />Berdych had a much tougher time, needing five sets and three hours 45 minutes to tame Martin Klizan of Slovakia 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.<br /><br />Richard Gasquet, seeded 12th, and Gael Monfils, 20th, advanced in straight sets to set up an all-French collision for a berth in the fourth round.<br /><br />Paes-Stepanek advance<br /><br />Leander Paes and Czech partner Radek Stepanek entered the men’s doubles prequarterfinals with a straight-set victory in the second round,The sixth seeded pairing defeated Chinese Taipei’s Yen Hsun-Lu and Czech Republic’s Jiri Vesley 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 in a contest which lasted an hour and 23 minutes.<br /><br />Results (prefix denotes seedings): Men’s singles, second round: Dominic Thiem (Aut) bt 11-Ernests Gulbis (Lat) 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3; 17-Roberto Bautista (Esp) bt Tim Smyczek (US) 6-3, 6-2, 6-1; 26-Gilles Simon (Fra) bt Federico Delbonis (Arg) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-0), 6-1; 12-Richard Gasquet (Fra) bt Paolo Lorenzi (Ita) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 6-3; 7-Grigor Dimitrov (Bul) bt Dudi Sela (Isr) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2; 14-Marin Cilic (Cro) bt Illya Marchenko (Ukr) 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, 6-4; 20-Gael Monfils (Fra) bt Alejandro Gonzalez (Col) 7-5, 6-3, 6-2; 6-Tomas Berdych (Cze) bt Martin Klizan (Svk) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; Adrian Mannarino (Fra) bt 15-Fabio Fognini (Ita) 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.<br /><br />Women’s singles(third round): 5-Maria Sharapova (Rus) bt 26-Sabine Lisicki (Ger) 6-2, 6-4; 14-Lucie Safarova (Cze) bt 22-Alize Cornet (Fra) 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4; Belinda Bencic (Sui) bt 6-Angelique Kerber (Ger) 6-1, 7-5; 13-Sara Errani (Ita) bt 19-Venus Williams (US) 6-0, 0-6, 7-6 (7-5); Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (Cro) bt 2-Simona Halep (Rou) 7-6 (8-6), 6-2; 9-Jelena Jankovic (Srb) bt Johanna Larsson (Swe) 6-1, 6-0; 10-Caroline Wozniacki (Den) bt 18-Andrea Petkovic (Ger) 6-3, 6-2.<br /></p>
<p>The US Open women's draw was blown wide open by a series of upsets on Friday but it was business as usual on the men's side with Roger Federer leading a parade of seeds into the third round at the year's final Grand Slam.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The shockwaves began early on another sunny day at Flushing Meadows with 32-year-old qualifier Mirjana Lucic-Baroni dismissing Romanian second seed Simona Halep 7-6 (8-6,) 6-2 to reach the fourth round.<br /><br />The tremors continued as Swiss teen Belinda Bencic ousted sixth-seeded German Angelique Kerber 6-1, 7-5 to reach the round of 16 in her US Open debut.<br /><br />The tournament also lost a fan favourite when Italy's Sara Errani posted her first career win over twice champion and 19th seed Venus Williams, coming out on top in an absorbing roller-coaster clash 6-0, 0-6, 7-6 (7-5).<br /><br />By the time fifth seed Maria Sharapova had closed out the action under the Arthur Ashe Stadium floodlights with a laboured 6-2, 6-4 win over Germany's Sabine Lisicki the top of the women's draw had lost four of the top eight seeds.<br /><br />The top 10 men's seeds, however, remain intact.<br /><br />Federer, Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer, sixth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych and seventh-seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov all advanced on Friday. The highest-ranked casualty was Ernests Gulbis of Latvia, the 11th seed, who was ousted by 45th-ranked Dominic Thiem of Austria 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.<br /><br />Federer, chasing an 18th Grand Slam Title, served up a tidy 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over big-hitting Australian Sam Groth to ease into the third round.<br /><br />Ferrer reached the third round without lifting his racket when Australian Bernard Tomic withdrew with a hip injury, while Dimitrov breezed into the third round with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win over Israel's Dudi Sela.<br /><br />Berdych had a much tougher time, needing five sets and three hours 45 minutes to tame Martin Klizan of Slovakia 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.<br /><br />Richard Gasquet, seeded 12th, and Gael Monfils, 20th, advanced in straight sets to set up an all-French collision for a berth in the fourth round.<br /><br />Paes-Stepanek advance<br /><br />Leander Paes and Czech partner Radek Stepanek entered the men’s doubles prequarterfinals with a straight-set victory in the second round,The sixth seeded pairing defeated Chinese Taipei’s Yen Hsun-Lu and Czech Republic’s Jiri Vesley 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 in a contest which lasted an hour and 23 minutes.<br /><br />Results (prefix denotes seedings): Men’s singles, second round: Dominic Thiem (Aut) bt 11-Ernests Gulbis (Lat) 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3; 17-Roberto Bautista (Esp) bt Tim Smyczek (US) 6-3, 6-2, 6-1; 26-Gilles Simon (Fra) bt Federico Delbonis (Arg) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-0), 6-1; 12-Richard Gasquet (Fra) bt Paolo Lorenzi (Ita) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 6-3; 7-Grigor Dimitrov (Bul) bt Dudi Sela (Isr) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2; 14-Marin Cilic (Cro) bt Illya Marchenko (Ukr) 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, 6-4; 20-Gael Monfils (Fra) bt Alejandro Gonzalez (Col) 7-5, 6-3, 6-2; 6-Tomas Berdych (Cze) bt Martin Klizan (Svk) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; Adrian Mannarino (Fra) bt 15-Fabio Fognini (Ita) 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.<br /><br />Women’s singles(third round): 5-Maria Sharapova (Rus) bt 26-Sabine Lisicki (Ger) 6-2, 6-4; 14-Lucie Safarova (Cze) bt 22-Alize Cornet (Fra) 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4; Belinda Bencic (Sui) bt 6-Angelique Kerber (Ger) 6-1, 7-5; 13-Sara Errani (Ita) bt 19-Venus Williams (US) 6-0, 0-6, 7-6 (7-5); Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (Cro) bt 2-Simona Halep (Rou) 7-6 (8-6), 6-2; 9-Jelena Jankovic (Srb) bt Johanna Larsson (Swe) 6-1, 6-0; 10-Caroline Wozniacki (Den) bt 18-Andrea Petkovic (Ger) 6-3, 6-2.<br /></p>