US Open 2019: Federer marches into quarterfinal, Wawrinka knocks out defending champion Djokovic
Roger Federer rolled back the years with a virtuoso display of attacking tennis, dismantling Belgian David Goffin for the loss of just four games to march into his 13th quarterfinal at Flushing Meadows.
The Swiss dropped serve at 1-1 in the first set and looked in danger of dropping his third opening set of the tournament. But the fears proved to be unfounded as Federer responded with an immediate break of the Goffin serve en route to winning 5 of the next 6 games to take a one-set lead.
Federer was faster off the blocks in the second set, riding on two breaks of the Goffin serve to surge into a two-set lead in under an hour. There was no let-off in the Swiss' momentum as Federer reeled off all six games in the third set to complete a facile 6-2 6-2 6-0 win.
It was Federer's most lopsided win in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows since dropping only three games against Juan Monaco in 2011. The Swiss moves on to a 13th quarterfinal at the last Grand Slam of the year, where he'll face Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.
Dimitrov ended the run of young Australian Alex de Minaur in straight sets to reach the last-eight for the first time at the US Open and his first Major quarterfinal since the 2018 Australian Open.
In the night session, Russian Daniil Medvedev recovered from the loss of the first set to down German Dominic Koepfer and move into his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Medvedev will face Stan Wawrinka for a place in the semis after the 2016 Flushing Meadows champion ended the title defence of top seed Novak Djokovic, who retired down 4-6 5-7 1-2.
In an entertaining clash, Wawrinka saved a break point before breaking the Serb to take a one-set lead. Djokovic responded with an early break in the second set en route to a 3-0 lead but Wawrinka reeled off three games in a row to get back on serve at 4-4.
The Serb survived a break point in the next game but conceded the decisive break of the set by netting a low backhand volley. Wawrinka promptly served out a two-set lead.
Afflicted by an injury to his left shoulder, a fifth comeback from two sets down was not to be for the World No. 1 as Djokovic dropped serve at 1-1 in the third and decided against continuing the match. It was the Serb's first retirement in a Grand Slam since the 2017 Wimbledon quarterfinal against Tomas Berdych.
The defeat ended Djokovic's 11-year run (excluding the 2017 edition, which he missed) to the semifinals at the US Open. This is the Serb's earliest exit at Flushing Meadows since a third-round reverse against Australian Lleyton Hewitt in the third round in 2006.