Murray swamped Sam Querrey 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 and Federer humbled Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 in just 90 minutes, maintaining his 100 percent record over his old rival at Melbourne Park.

Women’s world number one Angelique Kerber also hit form as she dropped only four games against Kristyna Pliskova to race into a fourth-round meeting with America’s Coco Vandeweghe.

Murray and Federer had both watched from afar on Thursday as Djokovic, the defending champion and six-time winner, suffered a stunning defeat to 117th-ranked Denis Istomin.

Querrey also upset Djokovic at Wimbledon last year but Murray, made a knight in Britain’s New Year honours, never looked like slipping on any banana skins in round three.

He put Querrey away 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in just under two hours, winning 77 percent of points on his first serve and facing only three break points in a clinical display.

The Scottish world number one also showed no signs of discomfort in his right ankle, after he rolled it painfully during his second-round win over Andrey Rublev.

“I felt better and better as the match went on in terms of my movement,” he said. “The ankle was a little sore and I was a little tentative at the start but it got better and better through the match.”

Federer, 35 and returning from an injury lay-off, said he even surprised himself with an imperious win over Berdych that left the Czech shaking his head as he departed.

“In practice things were going well, but I’ve never been the practice king. I was winning tons of sets,” Federer said, adding: “It’s been unbelievable. I did surprise myself.” Murray and 17th-seeded Federer are on course to meet in the quarter-finals, with the Scot next facing Mischa Zverev and the Swiss veteran up against Kei Nishikori.

Japan’s Nishikori should provide a stern test for Federer and the fifth seed underlined his confident form by seeing off Slovakian qualifier Lukas Lacko 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, survived a four-set tussle with Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) and now faces Italy’s Andreas Seppi, who ousted Steve Darcis of Belgium.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also came through in four sets against American Jack Sock and will play Briton Dan Evans, who beat Australia’s Bernard Tomic 7-5, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3).

In the women’s draw, Kerber finally got into her stride with a 6-0, 6-4 destruction of Kristyna Pliskova, the 58th-ranked twin sister of Czech fifth seed Karolina.

The German defending champion was an early loser at both of her warm-up tournaments and was taken to three sets in unconvincing wins in round one and two.

But Kerber clicked into gear against Pliskova, winning in just 55 minutes to set up a last-16 clash with America’s Coco Vandeweghe, who ousted Canadian starlet Eugenie Bouchard.

“I’m looking forward to the next one. Yeah, I think that I find my rhythm to the tournament now,” Kerber said.

Svetlana Kuznetsova outlasted fellow thirty-something Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 5-7, 9-7 and will next play fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Venus Williams beat Duan Yingying 6-1, 6-0 to end Chinese interest, earning a match with German qualifier Mona Barthel who overcame Australia’s Ashleigh Barty in three sets.

As heavily armed law enforcement officers and bomb sniffing dogs patrolled the sprawling Billie Jean King Tennis Center, a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium with 9/11/01 stenciled into the court observed a moment of silence followed by a flyover of four F-15E Strike Eagles.

The U.S. Open’s Flushing Meadows home is just 10 miles to the northeast of the site of the former Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the 2001 attacks left a mark on the sprawling facility and many players.

At the Open in 2001, a 20-year old Australian Lleyton Hewitt defeated American Pete Sampras to win the men’s final two days before the attack.

Several of the players in that year’s tournament left New York on flights in the days and even hours before the Twin Towers came down.

Over the years since, scores of top tennis players from around the world have made their way to the site of the Twin Towers. Spain’s twice U.S. Open champion Rafa Nadal, who was 15-years-old in 2001, has said he has gone to memorialize the 9/11 victims at least a half dozen times over the years. Serb Novak Djokovic, who played Swiss Stan Wawrinka in Sunday’s final, in 2009 invited several children of 9/11 victims to see him play at the Open. American Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who began Sunday’s action on Arthur Ashe Stadium court partnering with Lucie Safarova, paid her own tribute wearing Stars and Stripes knee-high socks and wrist bands.

“It is an emotional day,” said Mattek-Sands, who won gold at the Rio Olympics in mixed doubles with Jack Sock. “I was going to retire my American flag socks after the gold medal match.

“I said, You know what? For the final of the U.S. Open, 9/11, have to bring them out.

“It was really special for me to win it here today in New York.”

In Lower Manhattan on Sunday morning, thousands gathered at the 9/11 memorial site to commemorate the 15th anniversary, as police, firefighters and rescue workers mixed with victims’ families and U.S. presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Clinton left the ceremony early after feeling unwell on a hot, humid day.

Djokovic moved into the quarter-finals in New York for the 10th consecutive year, beating 21 year old Kyle Edmund 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 in Arthur Ashe Stadium. In the last eight, the defending champion will face ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for the 22nd time. The Serbian leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 15-6, including 11 of their past 12 meetings. Tsonga advanced to the quarter-finals with a four-set win against American Jack Sock.

“I was pleased,” said Djokovic. “Very pleased, except a little drop in the level in the third set, midway through the third set. Other than that, everything was great. It’s good to play an entire match, considering I had not much time spent on the court in past couple of rounds. So far I only played night sessions. I actually like playing night sessions very much. Hopefully the next one can be also night session.”

The two-time US Open champion hadn’t played a full match since 29 August, when he beat Pole Jerzy Janowicz 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 in the first round. Czech left-hander Jiri Vesely withdrew before their second-round match because of inflammation to his left forearm. Djokovic was leading his third-round match against Mikhail Youzhny 4-2 before the Russian retired because of a back injury.

“This particular situation I [have] never had in my Grand Slam career,” Djokovic, a 14-year tour veteran, had said.

But he looked focused from the start against Edmund, who was playing in the fourth round of a Grand Slam championship for the first time. Djokovic gained two breaks and lost only two points on his first serve in the opener. The second set was more of the same, and after a little more than one hour, Djokovic held a two-set lead against Edmund, No. 84 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

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But Edmund blasted his forehand more and made Djokovic worry in the third set. The Brit, who was playing in Arthur Ashe Stadium for the first time, fell behind an early break but marched back to lead 3-2 before Djokovic took the final set.

“I enjoyed the experience,” said Edmund. “It was obviously a tough match. [I] came off a lot happier than I was during the match just because I got something going and started to impose myself a lot better. So that was good. [I’ve] just a lot of learning to do from it, which is a really good thing. To play the World No. 1 on the biggest tennis court in the world, doesn’t get much better than that. It’s been a great tournament for me. Loads and loads of positives, the way I’ve been playing. The good thing is, I feel like there’s a lot of stuff I can improve on and get better, as well, and the level I’m playing at.”

Djokovic’s left wrist, which he said had bothered him last month, looked fine but the 29 year old received treatment on his right arm for the second match of the tournament. Early on in the third set, a trainer massaged Djokovic’s right elbow. A trainer also had treated Djokovic’s right arm during his first-round match.

This is not the foot-hole in the bowling crease, which Australia bowlers had reported to be so deep, that by now, Mitchell Starc should able to travel through it to Rio, to watch brother Brandon compete in the high-jump.

This hole was merely figurative. (Though, again, this is not a jibe at Sri Lanka Cricket administrators’ travel-and-expenses account.)

No, this was the kind of hole that Sri Lanka have routinely found themselves in Tests over the past year; the kind of hole from which they have not often lately recovered. The kind of hole from which, on this occasion, only their best player could haul them out.

Australia were skipping along gaily, at 267 for 1, only 88 runs behind. Soon they had lost a wicket, but were nevertheless still skipping – a triple-figure first-innings lead in their sight.

Then along came Rangana Herath. Think of him here as a fireman – probably in an oversized kit and a hat that falls off – sending a rope ladder down to teammates wallowing in the pit. With six for 81 in this innings, the rescue was almost single-handed. With the last four wickets falling for 26 runs, the salvage operation took surprisingly little time.

This 25th five-for of Herath’s career is all the more remarkable, for his having been hit on the box on day two. This is the kind of injury that Sri Lankan men of his age would take several weeks off work for. It is the kind of complaint that would see them sullenly recovering in front of the TV, a drink in hand and ice-pack at the crotch; making whimpering grunts when rising from the settee; forming pathetic pained faces when wives came in with bowls of soup.

Herath though – a hobble now added to his usual waddle – was seen warming up again in the outfield only an hour after the blow had been received. He was bowling at Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh before day’s end.

In the morning, on day three, he was pivoting very gingerly at the crease, but got through his overs cheaply, even if his balls did not quite have their usual shape. By the evening though, when perhaps the pain had eased a little, the flight and subtlety returned, as did the dip and bite. All through this innings, Herath’s willpower triumphed over his groin, and folks as diverse as Tiger Woods and Bill Clinton may say there is no more heroic victory for a man than that.

“Rangana’s got some pain in the groin as a result of the blow, and it’s quite a challenge for the physio at the moment,” coach Graham Ford said after play. “But I can’t say enough about the bloke. I was joking in the dressing room and saying he’s my all-time sporting hero. He’s gone ahead of Roger Federer.”

This may seem like hyperbole, but let us consider the facts. Federer may have had to do battle with Rafael Nadal for his titles, and lately Novak Djokovic. But has Federer ever had to contend with Sri Lanka’s selectors, whose first response to any uncertainty, for a while, was to drop Herath from the team? Usain Bolt may be part of the reigning Olympic relay team, but has he ever had to race with teammates as useless at holding batons, as Herath’s teammates often are with catches?

“He’s injured and he’s bowling on one leg,” Ford said. “He’s just got so much guts and fight. For an older guy to do that it – ignites the fight within the younger group. After his nasty incident batting, he makes some brilliant diving stops in the dirt off his own bowling. If you’ve got the old man throwing himself around like that, the youngsters have no excuse.”

Australia finished only 24 runs ahead in the first innings, and Sri Lanka now find themselves only two runs behind. They will set themselves up nicely for a whitewash with 250 more. But if the top order fails again, Herath may find himself needing to rescue Sri Lanka from another hole, with bat and ball.

It is possibly Josh Hazlewood feels guilty for Herath’s injury, but he shouldn’t bother. It is Herath’s teammates that kick the old man in the gonads most of all.

World number one and top seed Djokovic, who turns 29 on the opening day of the tournament on Sunday, needs a Roland Garros title to complete a career Grand Slam after losing three finals in four years, including last season to Stan Wawrinka.

Should Djokovic and nine-time French Open champion Nadal meet in the last-four it will be their 50th career clash in a rivalry which began in 2006 at Roland Garros.

Djokovic has the edge at 26-23, claiming the pair’s last seven encounters.

Fourth seed Wawrinka is scheduled to take on second seed Andy Murray in the other semi-final.

Top seed Djokovic, bidding for a 12th career major, starts his campaign against Taiwan’s Lu Yen-Hsun, the world number 100 who made the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2010.

Djokovic is seeded to face Tomas Berdych in the last-eight while he could tackle volatile Australian Bernard Tomic in the fourth round.

Tomic was accused by the Serb of lacking commitment after a tame exit at the Madrid Masters last month.

Nadal, who lost to Djokovic in the quarter-finals in 2015, had originally been set to be seeded at five until 2009 champion Roger Federer withdrew through injury on Thursday.

Nadal starts his French Open against big-serving Sam Groth of Australia with a potential quarter-final against home hope, and two-time semi-finalist, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

With his 30th birthday just around the corner, Nadal has arguably the toughest draw of the top men but will be buoyed by a recent return to form which saw him claim the Monte Carlo and Barcelona titles.

Italy’s Fabio Fognini, who came back from two sets down to beat Nadal at the US Open last year, is a possible third round opponent.

Rising Austrian Dominic Thiem, the man who knocked Federer out in Rome, is lying in wait in the round of 16.

– Serena eyes 22nd Slam – SUB HEAD

Murray, fresh from beating Djokovic in the Rome Masters final, will meet a qualifier in the first round with a potential quarter-final against Japan’s Kei Nishikori.

Murray has been handed a relatively smooth path although a mouth-watering clash with Nick Kyrgios of Australia is a potential last-eight match-up should Nishikori stumble. AFP

Serena, the world’s top women’s tennis player, was named Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year again, after a sparkling 2015 in which she won three Grand Slams.

Laureus Academy Member Boris Becker, now Djokovic’s coach, said: “He had a great year again. He’s played 88 matches, has won 82, He won three out of the four Grand Slams, reached the final of the French Open, he’s won seven other tournaments. Very few players, if any, had a year like that.”

There was a special posthumous Laureus Spirit of Sport Award to celebrate the life of Johan Cruyff, who died in March. It was received by his son Jordi Cruyff.

On a glittering evening in Berlin that recognised the outstanding sporting achievements of 2015, rugby was the other big winner with the All Blacks taking the Laureus Team Award and Dan Carter receiving the Laureus Comeback of the Year Award, following the team’s Rugby World Cup success.

Carter said: “It’s nice to be recognised for the year I had in 2015. It was a very special year, not only for me, but also for the All Blacks and to be a part of that was amazing.”

To the delight of the Berlin audience, Germany’s Jan Frodeno, the first man to win both the Ironman World Championship and an Olympic triathlon gold medal, was presented with the Laureus Action Sports Award, while golfer Jordan Spieth won the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Award. Spieth said: “Thank you so much to the Laureus Academy. Just to know a couple of you is an honour. For me it’s unique. We’re used to being recognised in the golfing community but this Award recognises us around the world to all of sport and it’s something that’s very difficult to put into words.” Brazilian Paralympic swimmer Daniel Dias won his third Laureus Disability Award, another record. Dias, who is one of Brazil’s big hopes for gold medals the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in September, said: “This is another great honour for me and gives me great encouragement, as we are now in the build-up to the Paralympic Games in Rio. To think I have won win three Laureus Awards, something only managed by other sportsmen like Roger Federer, Usain Bolt and Kelly Slater, is quite overwhelming.”

Three-time Formula One world champion Niki Lauda, now Non-Executive Chairman of the Mercedes AMG Petronas team, received the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award.

Djokovic, also the 2011 champion, will take on either seven-time winner Roger Federer or 2013 champion Andy Murray in Sunday’s final.

The world number one trails Federer 19-20 in career meetings but leads Murray 19-8

The world number one has not played a competitive match since a gut-wrenching defeat by Stanislas Wawrinka in the French Open final at the start of the month, opting out of the Wimbledon warmup events in what has been an extended grasscourt swing.

Djokovic even posted a photograph of himself apparently asleep on one of the All England Club lawns this week but do not be deceived.

Once the Serb walks on to Centre Court on Monday to begin his quest for a third Wimbledon title he will flick the switch and the warrior instincts are sure to return.

Djokovic made it a mission this year to complete his career grand slam at Roland Garros and after back-to-back wins against Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray in the quarter-finals and semi-finals his moment seemed to have arrived.

An inspired Wawrinka slammed the door shut though.

It was a heartbreaking defeat for Djokovic but a fortnight in the English country garden setting of the All England Club, with some expected warm weather too, will provide the perfect antedote for any lingering disappointment.

“He was very close to achieving something that very few players have done … he probably needed some time away to rest and relax and get his head right,” said Wimbledon third seed Andy Murray.

Djokovic’s most likely title rivals, Murray and 17-times grand slam champion Roger Federer, have been busy sharpening their grasscourt tools.

Murray breezed to a fourth Queen’s Club title while Federer’s eighth Halle crown inGermany backed up the belief that, even at 33, the second seed could win an eighth Wimbledon crown to move past American Pete Sampras in the all-time list.

‘Murray Mania’ will pump up to full volume over the next couple of weeks with the in-form Briton being tipped to win his first slam since beating Djokovic on Centre Court in 2013.

He has lost eight in a row to Djokovic since then and such is Djokovic’s reliability that it is likely Murray will have to solve that conundrum if he is to triumph.

“He has put himself back in the mix,” triple Wimbledon champion John McEnroe said of the Scot’s resurgence after a lacklustre 2014.

“I think overall he is 10 to 15 percent better and that is a significant amount at his level.”

Twice champion Nadal will arrive under the radar.

Seeded 10th after a mediocre year, dethroned French Open king Nadal won his first grasscourt title for five years in Stuttgart a few days later and then lost to Alexandr Dolgopolov at Queen’s but no one will want to face him.

“I think in certain ways it’s not about the shots, it’s more about what’s inside his head, how healthy he is,” said McEnroe.

Last year’s tournament saw Grigor Dimitrov oust defending champion Murray, Australian trailblazer Nick Kyrgios hammered Nadal and Milos Raonic fell to Federer in the semi-finals and that trio will return with high expectations.

The unpredictable Kyrgios, 20, has the ‘wow’ factor to shake up the establishment, according to fellow Aussie Darren Cahill who once coached former champion Lleyton Hewitt.

“There are going to be highs and lows with Nick because he’s so young and goes for broke but he clearly likes the biggest stages and that makes him dangerous,” said Cahill.

Nadal is seeded a lowly sixth this year after slipping to seven in the rankings and as a result was always likely to face one of his major rivals in the last eight.
“It’s very strange,” admitted Nadal, promoted to the sixth seeding after the injury-enforced pull-out of Canada’s Milos Raonic. “It’s never happened before.
“But I have to play four matches to get to the quarter-finals. I have to be ready for the first round.”
Nadal defeated Djokovic in the 2012 and 2014 finals, but the top-seeded Serb, who turned 28 on Friday, is the overwhelming favourite for a maiden Roland Garros title this year.
Djokovic goes into the French Open, which starts Sunday, riding a 22-match unbeaten streak and has already captured a fifth Australian Open and Masters crowns in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Rome this year.
Djokovic, bidding to become only the eighth man to complete the career Grand Slam, starts his campaign in Paris against experienced Finn Jarkko Nieminen while Nadal begins against French wildcard Quentin Halys.
The other potential quarter-finals could see second seed Roger Federer, the 2009 champion, face Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka.
Third seeded Andy Murray was drawn for a potential clash against David Ferrer while Tomas Berdych could tackle Japan’s Kei Nishikori.
Federer, the 2009 champion, starts against a qualifier.
Murray is a potential semi-final opponent for Djokovic and Nadal with the Scot, the champion on clay in Madrid this year, starting against a qualifier.
In the women’s singles, top seed Serena Williams was handed a tough draw which could see the American taking on old rival Victoria Azarenka and sister Venus before the quarter-finals.
Williams, the 2002 and 2013 champion, starts against a qualifier but could meet sister Venus in the last 16.
Two-time Australian Open winner and former number one Azarenka is a potential third round opponent for Williams.
Adding extra spice to the draw is the presence of bitter American rival Sloane Stephens in Serena’s half of the draw.
Stephens could face the two-time champion in the last 16 but she starts against Venus.In contrast, second seeded defending champion Maria Sharapova starts against experienced Estonian Kaia Kanepi and could tackle Spanish claycourter Carla Sanchez Navarro in the quarter-finals.
Former number one Caroline Wozniacki is a possible last-eight opponent for Williams.
Third seed Simona Halep could meet Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard in the quarter-finals.