Novak Djokovic has moved closer to a possible US Open quarter-final against Roger Federer with an efficient victory over Richard Gasquet in the third round.
Djokovic saved all five break points he faced in a routine 6-2 6-3 6-3 victory, although the Serbian sixth seed was made to work late in the match to maintain his break.
“It was a great match from the beginning to the end,” he said in his on-court interview.
“In the third set Richard raised his level and the crowd was amazing towards the end. I love the energy.”
Djokovic is now 13-1 for his career against Gasquet, including 11 wins in a row.
The two-time champion at Flushing Meadows will face Joao Sousa in the fourth round on Monday after the unseeded Portuguese won three tiebreakers in his 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) victory over 17th-seeded Frenchman Lucas Pouille.
Earlier on Saturday, Federer’s 51 winners included a jaw-dropping flick around the net post as he swept aside Nick Kyrgios 6-4 6-1 7-5 to reach the fourth round in a 17th consecutive appearance in New York.
There he will face 55th-ranked John Millman after the Australian defeated Mikhail Kukushkin 6-4 4-6 6-1 6-3, to seal his first appearance in a grand slam second week.
An out-of-sorts Alexander Zverev made another first-week exit in New York after losing a fierce third round battle of wills with compatriot Philipp Kohlschreiber.
After winning the first set there was little fourth-seeded Zverev could do to stop an inspired Kohlschreiber, who won 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 6-1 6-3.
The versatile 34-year-old showed none of the mental fragility that has dogged him in the past, recovering well after being trounced in the first set tiebreaker to set up a last 16 meeting with Japan’s Kei Nishikori, the 21st seed.
Zverev teamed up with Ivan Lendl before the tournament in New York, bringing the eight-times grand slam champion on to his coaching staff in an attempt to take the next step in his career.
Going by the evidence served up on Saturday, Lendl has his work cut out for him.
“It’s a process,” Zverev told reporters. “I took (Lendl) to do well at slams but this is a process.
“You can’t expect to kind of immediately see the results. I think the results will come next year.”
Zverev committed 53 unforced errors, including some double faults at critical moments, as Kohlschreiber reached the fourth round for the fifth time in his career.
“It was a very entertaining match,” Kohlschreiber said in his on-court interview.
“You have Sascha with the big serve, big strokes, but I was very happy with the variety in my play.”
Nishikori, the 2014 runner-up at Flushing Meadows, overcame Argentine 13th seed Diego Schwartzman 6-4 6-4 5-7 6-1.
Belgian 10th seed David Goffin was too consistent for German Jan-Lennard Struff in a 6-4 6-1 7-6 (7-4) victory.