Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer had an easy time on the hard court on Saturday, dispatching their respective opponents in straight sets to move one win away from arranging a highly-anticipated quarterfinal showdown at the 2013 US Open Championships in Queens, New York.
Nadal advanced to the fourth round after coming through with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Ivan Dodig of Croatia. The Mallorcan netter recorded 37 winners and 90 points with 37 unforced errors against Dodig, who converted just 52 percent of his serve into points and racked up just 63 points.
"I started the match with the right intensity," Nadal told AFP right after his victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium. "I think I played my best match of the week so far."
The 12-time Grand Slam champion will next face veteran tennis player Philipp Kohlschreiber, who's not new to pulling off upsets. Kohlschreiber was the last player to defeat Djokovic before the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam, doing such feat in the fourth round of the 2009 French Open.
Nadal's victory over the German could set him up to another showdown with long-time rival Roger Federer of Switzerland. Federer has also been playing splendid tennis through the first three rounds, defeating his opponents without dropping a single set.
On Saturday, Federer cruised to a 6-3, 6-0, 6-2 win against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. The 17-time Grand Slam winner recorded eight aces and 34 winners in the match.
"I was able to play a great match. I was very pleased about the outcome," Federer told AFP. "I was able to really use my serve well, because it was breezy. I had a bit more variation than him, which helped increase the margin."
Even before the draw, many analysts and tennis followers were expecting another Grand Slam affair between two of the finest netters in the era. Nadal and Federer combined for 29 Grand Slam championships around their belt and engaged in 31 competitive matches (21-10 head-to-head in favor of Nadal).
Meanwhile, former world's no.1 and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka moved on to the next round but not before fending off a spirited challenge from Alize Cornet 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 6-2. The Belarusian beauty will next take on another former top-rank female netter Ana Ivanovic, who bested Christina McHale 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the third round.
"I couldn't keep my rhythm early in the match," Ivanovic said. "I tried to keep my head down, stay calm and keep playing aggressive."
Caroline Wozniacki's run in Flushing Meadows came to an end late Saturday after succumbing 21-year-old qualifier Camila Giorgio of Italy 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
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