Novak Djokovic gets 2nd free pass, Rafael Nadal advances with ease
— -- NEW YORK -- Novak Djokovic advanced on a free pass for the second consecutive match and? Rafael Nadal?had little trouble in his bout as both players reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open?on Friday.
Djokovic won when his third-round opponent, Mikhail Youzhny, stopped because of injury after only six games.
This came two days after defending champion Djokovic's second round opponent, Jiri Vesely, withdrew a couple of hours before that match because of inflammation in his left forearm.
"I don't think I ever had this kind of situation in my career,'' Djokovic said. "But considering the stage of the season, the amount of matches I've played, what I've been through with my body, I think it's actually good to have some days off and then shorter matches, from one side.
"From the other side, sure, as you are approaching second week of the Grand Slam, you want to have match play and you want to have time spent on the center court before you face one of the top players.''
Djokovic moved into the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the 10th consecutive year.
Youzhny quit after only 31 minutes while trailing Djokovic 4-2. The Russian received treatment from a trainer early on, getting his left leg wrapped, but briefly tried to continue.
"I'll take it,'' Djokovic said. "I'm moving on and focusing on the next one.''
He will face Kyle Edmund, who upset 20th-seeded American John Isner for his second win over a top-25 player in three matches.
With a spectacular `tweener lob to get to match point, Nadal easily won to reach the fourth round for the first time since winning the 2013 title.
Nadal was troubled only by his six double-faults during a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 victory over 47th-ranked Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia on Friday night and has won all nine sets he's played this week.
The owner of 14 Grand Slam trophies, including two at Flushing Meadows, Nadal hadn't been to the fourth round at any major tournament since the 2015 French Open.
Closing in on victory against Kuznetsov, Nadal raced toward the baseline and, his back to the net, flicked a lob through his legs, eventually taking that point.
When it ended, Nadal punched the air and spread his arms wide, pumping his fists. During his on-court interview afterward, Nadal said he was lucky the trick shot went in.
Marcos Baghdatis beat Ryan Harrison 6-3, 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-1 to move into the round of 16 at the US Open on Friday, ending the run of the American qualifier who had pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.
Harrison had reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time when he defeated the No. 5 seed and Wimbledon runner-up Milos Raonic on Wednesday.
He will play 10th-seeded Gael Monfils, who beat Nicolas Almagro?6-4, 6-2, 6-4.
American Jack Sock eliminated 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic to reach the fourth round for the first time.
The 26th-seeded Sock won 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 on Friday, taking all 14 of his service games and never facing so much as one break point. And he handled the Croatian's big serve just fine, breaking the No. 7-seeded Cilic on four occasions.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.?
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