Novak Djokovic improved his record to 60-2 in 2011 by beating 39th-ranked Nikolay Davydenko 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 Saturday night to reach the fourth round of the US Open. The top-seeded Serb is trying to win his third Grand Slam of the year and the fourth of his career. He is seeking his first title at Flushing Meadows, where he was the runner-up to Federer in 2007 and to Rafael Nadal in 2010.

Davydenko, a four-time major semifinalist, was not able to provide too much resistance against Djokovic, who next plays 22nd-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov in the round of 16. Dolgopolov outlasted Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.

Roger Federer and Serena Willams also advanced to the fourth round. Federer met little trouble in moving forward, eliminating Marin Cilic of Croatia 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. “It was a tough match,” Federer, the five-time champion, said after the two-hour-40-minute contest. “Coming into the match I knew it was going to be tricky and I am happy that I was able to counter his pace and his good play.”

Serena Williams, a three-time winner, demonstrated a powerful comeback in dispatching the first real test from fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 7-6 (5). The tournament would go down in history with a record 14 retirements with seeded players Tomas Berdych and Marcel Granollers becoming the latest on the withdrawal list.

It would reach 18 victims in the tournament including a couple of walkovers, highlighted by the pullout of Venus Williams and sixth-seeded Robin Soderling Wednesday for illness.

Cilic, the 27th seed, had his chances but could convert only two of nine break-point chances against the third-seeded Swiss.

Williams, who missed last year’s tournament at the start of an 11-month injury and life-threatening illness lay-off, announced his strong return in a stylish match overpowering Azarenka. “Definitely his serve keeps him in there all the time,” said Cilic.

 “And today he was, in those crucial moments, finding a way to make the game a little more difficult for me to read what he was going to do.” The Croat double-faulted to give Federer a 5-4 lead in the third set and never recovered. He had just received a time violation by the umpire prior to his costly error.

Federer conceded the timing of the violation took him by surprise. “These time violations come out of nowhere sometimes and then they will never come back again,” he said.

Federer is currently is tied with Jimmy Connors and Pete Sampras for the most US Open titles since the sport turned professional in 1968. Williams next faces either former world number one Ana Ivanovic of Serbia or American wildcard Sloane Stephens for a place in the quarterfinals.

In a tournament missing defending champion Kim Clijsters, and which saw Maria Sharapova, French Open champion Li Na and Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova all failed to reach the second round, Williams looks the hot favorite.

Williams, who saw three match points slip away in the ninth game of the second set, insisted she still has much to work on. “I think in the first set I played some really good tennis. In the second, she kind of dictated. I probably could have played better.”

Wozniacki, the runner-up to Clijsters in 2009, and still searching for an elusive first Grand Slam title, made the last 16 with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over America’s Vania King. The Dane next faces 15th-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 champion, who eased past Uzbekistan’s Akgul Amanmuradova 6-4, 6-2.
The 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, the Italian seventh seed, saved a match point to defeat South Africa’s Chanelle Scheepers 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-3.

Schiavone next faces Russian 17th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova who beat Serbian 11th seed Jelena Jankovic, the 2008 runner-up, 6-4, 6-4.

In the men’s category, eighth seed Mardy Fish defeated South Africa’s Kevin Anderson 6-4, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3) and next plays French 11th seed JoWilfried Tsonga, who defeated Fernando Verdasco, the 19th-seeded Spaniard, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.




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