U.S. Open 2015: Serena Williams And Novak Djokovic Reach Quarterfinals
On day seven of the 2015 U.S. Open, both of the number one seeds, Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic, won their respective matches in rout to the U.S. Open quarterfinals.
Serena Williams played against fellow American Madison Keys in her U.S. Open round of 16 match. This looked to be a tough match for Serena on paper, but she made quick work of the 20-year-old from Illinois (6-3 6-3).
Serena Williams, who had trouble in her two matches prior to Sunday, played cleanly and efficiently in dispatching Keys.
The other Williams sister, Venus, defeated her opponent Anett Kontaveit in just 50 minutes (6-2 6-1). Venus will face off against her sister in the U.S. Open quarterfinals. The 35-year-old may be the biggest obstacle in her sister’s path to winning the U.S. Open and the calendar slam, since Venus is playing some of her best tennis as of late.
“She’s playing great,” Serena said of Venus in her on-court interview with ESPN. “I barely had time to get ready for my match because she won so fast. I have to be ready for that.”
In the other woman’s match during the day session, Eugenie Bouchard of Canada had to withdraw due to a concussion suffered after her fourth round match in the locker room.
According to a source: “It was late, and the women’s locker room was dark, so Bouchard felt around to find the light.”
“There was water on the floor, and Bouchard slipped, falling backward and landing on the back of her head. She went to the emergency room that night. After she was released, there was concern that playing a tennis match would not help her recovery and that she needed rest, the source said.”
On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic faced off against Spaniard Robert Bautista Agut for a spot in the final eight of the U.S. Open. Djokovic’s match was not as simple as Serena’s. Bautista Agut was lucky to make it to the U.S. Open round of 16, since David Goffin retired in their third round match when up two sets to one.
Early on, the Serb looked to be in total control over the 23 seed after winning the first set comfortably. But things began to get complicated late in the second set, when Djokovic failed to convert a chance for a double break lead. In Djokovic’s next two service games he was broken, allowing the 27-year-old to take the second set. This marked Djokovic’s first lost set of the tournament.
Despite this hiccup, Novak showed no sign of slowing down in his pursuit of the victory, he won the third set with relative ease.
Djokovic proceeded with his high level of play in the fourth set by breaking Bautista Agut in the first game. Djokovic dominated the final set and punched his ticket in the U.S. Open quarters (6-3 4-6 6-4 6-3)
Novak Djokovic will face another Spaniard in Feliciano Lopez on Tuesday for a spot in the U.S. Open semifinals.
In the other men’s matches for day seven, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated fellow Frenchman Benoit Paire in straight sets, Feliciano Lopes defeated Fabio Fognini in straight sets, and defending U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic defeated Jeremy Chardy in four sets.
Do you think Serena Williams will complete the calendar slam by winning the U.S. Open? Do you think Novak Djokovic will win his first U.S. Open since 2011?
[Image Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images]
