Tuesday 4 September 2018 14:24, UK
While all around her seem to have faltered in New York this week, Serena Williams showed the rest of the world's top players how to do it with a battling 6-0 4-6 6-3 victory over Kaia Kanepi to reach the last eight of the US Open.
Only one player from the world's top six remains in the women's draw and two of the top 10 seeds are still standing after Elina Svitolina became the latest exit with defeat to Anastasija Sevastova after Williams's victory.
Saturday saw Angelique Kerber, Petra Kvitova and Caroline Garcia join Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki in crashing out before the first week is out but Williams remains, although she had to dig deep at times on Sunday.
Williams may be seeded 17th as she works her way back to the top of the game, but she was in spectacular and tenacious form to continue her quest for a seventh Flushing Meadow title and record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles crown that would draw her level with Margaret Court's all-time number.
The 36-year-old raced through the first set in less than 20 minutes, restricting Kanepi to just six points but the Estonian registered six games in the second set to level the contest and become the first player to take a set off Williams in the tournament and take the great champion to a third set for only the fourth time in her comeback.
After two sets and 45 winners that had taken little more than an hour, the pair headed into a decider and it was Williams who stood triumphant after a fierce battle that sees her through to a quarter-final showdown with Karolina Pliskova, the last woman to beat her at the US Open.
Kanepi, a two-time US Open quarter-finalist, came into the contest in rare form herself, reaching the fourth round without dropping a set and accounting for world No 1 Halep in the first round.
Williams had won all four previous meetings between the pair, without dropping a set - and for anyone seeking omens she had beaten the 33-year-old in the last 16 on the way to her last US Open title in 2014.
The American looked every inch the major champion in an opening set, while Kanepi seemed frozen, or powerless to stop a Williams onslaught.
Williams held to love in the opening game of the contest and wasted little time in making a mark on her opponent's serve breaking to 15 with a two-handed cross-court winner sealing the deal.
With Williams impenetrable on her serve she took every opportunity to pounce on Kanepi, landing a double break for a 4-0 lead which she consolidated with a service hold to love that included three inch-perfect aces.
At 5-0 in the first set she had won 20 points to Kanepi's four and while the world no 44 improved to take a couple of points, Williams brought up a set point for a third break and when Kanepi dumped into the net, the American had the first set in just 19 minutes.
An inspired Kanepi came out with all guns blazing in the second set and when Williams fired long, she had a break to start the contest which she consolidated for a 2-0 lead.
Williams redressed the balance with a hold to 15 that featured three more aces but was unable to make inroads on the Kanepi serve. At 4-2 down Williams raced into a 40-15 lead but Kanepi blazed a succession of winners to break for a second time.
She was unable to serve it out at the first time of asking as Williams hit back immediately but Kanepi got the job done to take her first ever set from Williams
Williams raced into a 40-15 lead at 4-2 down, but remarkably Kanepi recovered for a double break and served out to take the match into a decider where Williams assumed control early with a remarkable show of aggression.
Having survived a test to hold in the opener, Williams let out a roar that was accompanied by a fierce shake of the fists and the move had its desired effect as Kanepi's radar went awry for the first time since the first set.
A couple of errors handed Williams the break and while the American survived a break point in the next game she powered her way into a 4-1 lead. Kanepi stayed strong but could find no way through the Williams serve and it was the indomitable American who sealed her place in the last eight after her toughest test so far.
Up next is Karolina Pliskova, who remains on course for a first Grand Slam title after a 6-4 6-4 victory over Australian 18th seed Ashleigh Barty.
The Czech is one of only three remaining players in the women's draw from the top 10 seeds and was the runner-up in New York in 2016 where she beat Williams in the last four before losing out to Angelique Kerber in the final.
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Tennis is back on Sky Sports screens with the Laver Cup in September while we will also have coverage of the ATP Finals in November with every match live on Sky Sports. But first, we will be across the final major of the year in New York as the US Open right through to the final with live blogs, reports, features and reaction.
