Djokovic, Williams Escape Heat on Sizzling Day at US Open
NEW YORK — Serena Williams’ name had just been announced as the winner at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday afternoon when Novak Djokovic, the No. 1 seed in the men’s draw, seemed to wake to the realization that he was battling more than just the veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Djokovic was making his first appearance in two years inside Louis Armstrong Stadium, a flatter, more intimate setting that, on this withering afternoon, sizzled like a baking tray. The place was packed with fans, but Armstrong could hardly offer the same sheltered, cocooned atmosphere as the court below the multitiered stands at Ashe.
So there it sat, splayed like a piece of meat under a broiling heat. Temperatures rose into the upper 80s, and Djokovic, wearing a hat, and then not wearing a hat, came to understand this was not going to be a breezy fourth-round tuneup.
“I know that I definitely wanted to stay not too long out there,’’ Djokovic said.
The heat certainly affected No. 7 Eugenie Bouchard, who played after Djokovic at Armstrong and required medical attention after falling behind, 3-2, in the second set. Trainers rushed to apply cold towels to her neck and rubbed ice packs along her thighs in an effort to lower her body temperature. At one point, Bouchard appeared too weak to snap open a sports drink.
After about a six-minute delay, Bouchard returned to the court, and for a moment she looked as if she might use the rest to her advantage. She broke Ekaterina Makarova’s serve to even the set at 4-4, but there was no comeback in the making.
Makarova, the No. 17 seed, finished strong to advance to the Open quarterfinals for the second year in a row with a 7-6 (2), 6-4 victory.
Bouchard said her vision had gone blurry, a result of not only the heat but also the several long and late matches she played during the first week.
“I don’t think I fully recovered from those,’’ Bouchard said. “I was feeling it a little bit yesterday, as well.’’
The loss brought Bouchard’s breakthrough season at Grand Slam tournaments to an end. She reached the semifinals at the Australian and French Opens and was a finalist at Wimbledon.
“I think I’ve made great strides this year,’’ she said. “I’m proud of how I’ve improved as a player. I’m looking forward to the end of the year, and I want to finish on a good note.’’
With Bouchard’s exit, the top-seeded Williams and No. 10 Caroline Wozniacki were the only women among the top-10 seeds to make it to the quarterfinals.
In the final match of the day session, there was a heated exchange across the net between Stan Wawrinka, the No. 3 seed, and Tommy Robredo. The dispute arose in the fourth set when Robredo admonished Wawrinka, who was about to serve, for what he presumed was an etiquette violation. Wawrinka did not appreciate the comments, and a terse discussion followed.
Wawrinka, the Australian Open winner, dominated the final set to secure a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 victory and advance to his third grand slam quarterfinal of the year.
Following the match, the players had a cool, quick handshake at the net and went their separate ways. Wawrinka will meet the winner of the Milos Ranoic-Kei Nishikori match.
“I think he did something not nicely,’’ Robredo said, without elaborating, “and I just told him if he had a problem today. But that’s it; nothing to talk about.’’ Wawrinka said it was just something that happens in the heat of an intense match.
Djokovic found himself in a second-set scare against Kohlschreiber, a 30-year-old German, who suddenly had set point facing Djokovic’s serve with a 5-4 lead.
A 15-shot rally ended with a Djokovic passing-shot winner, bringing the game to deuce, and he raised his arms and screamed. Two points later, after a 20-shot rally, Kohlschreiber’s backhand sailed long, and Djokovic had escaped, pumping his fist in joy.
He closed out a 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 victory to advance to the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open for the eighth consecutive year.
Entering the tournament, Djokovic, 27, had won only two matches on hardcourts since his victory at Wimbledon. But he has been quietly dominant at the U.S. Open, flexing his muscles in the absence of Rafael Nadal and looking more and more like the overwhelming favorite to capture his second title.
Still, the buzz has not built for Djokovic as it does for others, and one mischievous fan may have even symbolized something when, as Djokovic was about to serve, he yelled out, “Let’s go, Federer!’’
Djokovic’s second-set struggles represented the first time an opponent had won more than four games against him in a set in the tournament. For the fourth consecutive year, he slid through the first three rounds by surrendering less than 20 games.
“You know, as we come closer and closer to the finish line, the matches will get tougher,’’ Djokovic said. “That’s where I will see where my game is and if I’m mentally strong enough to hold on.’’
In the quarterfinals, Djokovic will face a familiar counterpart: No. 8 seed Andy Murray, who beat No. 9 Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, 7-5, 7-5, 6-4, to advance to his fourth Grand Slam quarterfinals of the year.. It was Murray’s first victory over a top-10 opponent since he won Wimbledon last year.
“Playing on Wednesday night against the No. 1 player in the world is exciting,’’ Murray said of facing Djokovic for the 21st time in their careers. Williams had little trouble getting past Kaia Kanepi of Estonia, 6-3, 6-3. Williams had lost only 11 games through her first three matches, the fewest of any woman to reach the fourth round.
She advanced to the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time this year, after losing in the fourth round at the Australian Open, the second round at the French Open and the third round at Wimbledon.
The relief was evident when she shouted, “I finally made a quarterfinal this year!’’ during an on-court interview.
The last time Williams, the defending U.S. Open champion, did not win a Grand Slam title in a calendar year was 2011, when she missed half the season with injuries.
She will play No. 11 seed Flavia Pennetta, who defeated No. 29 Casey Dellacqua, 7-5, 6-2. Pennetta, 32, was a semifinalist at the Open last year, her best career result in a major.
As the sun set behind Arthur Ashe Stadium, temperatures on the grounds cooled slightly, but the young Aleksandra Krunic applied plenty of heat to Victoria Azarenka, the No. 16 seed and a finalist here the last two years.
Krunic, a 21-year-old qualifier from Serbia, delighted fans with her bold play, athletic runs and emphatic fist pumps and put a fright into Azarenka to the end. Krunic won the first set and remained a threat, but Azarenka’s experience and talent ultimately dictated the terms, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com