US Open: Maria Sharapova in top gear

Maria Sharapova rolled into the last 16 at the US Open by overpowering US teen Sofia Kenin while a wide-open side of the men’s draw lost 2014 champion Marin Cilic.

Former world number one Sharapova, the 2006 US Open winner in her first Grand Slam since serving a 15-month doping ban, downed the 139th-ranked wildcard 7-5, 6-2 and moved into a fourth-round clash with Latvian 16th seed Anastasija Sevastova.

Five-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova, who tested positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open, reached the Round of 16 for the 14th time in 15 Slams since the 2011 US Open.

Sharapova, who returned from her ban in April, was snubbed for a wildcard in the French Open and injured for Wimbledon but was given a US Open wildcard despite playing only one hardcourt tuneup match due to a forearm injury.

The 30-year-old Russian broke Kenin with a forehand winner after 66 minutes to swipe the first set, exchanged early second-set breaks on double faults then broke again in the sixth and last games for the victory.

Croatian fifth seed Cilic, idled after Wimbledon until this week due to an adductor strain, was eliminated 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-4 by Argentine 29th seed Diego Schwartzman.

Canadian teen Denis Shapovalov became the youngest man since 1989 into the US Open last 16.

The 18-year-old Israeli-born world number 69 advanced when Britain’s Kyle Edmund retired with a neck injury with the Canadian leading 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 1-0.

New aunt Venus advances
Baby news from Florida turned heads as Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion and six-time US Open winner, gave birth to a baby daughter.

She was pregnant in January when she beat older sister Venus Williams in the Australian Open final.

US ninth seed Venus beat Greece’s 95th-ranked Maria Sakkari 6-3, 6-4 and said she was “super-excited.”

Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza needed only 62 minutes to defeat Slovakian 31st seed Magdalena Rybarikova 6-1, 6-1 and continue her best US Open run as well as take command of the fight for women’s world number one.

Awaiting Muguruza next is Czech 13th seed Petra Kvitova, the 2011 and 2014 Wimbledon champion who defeated French 18th seed Caroline Garcia 6-0, 6-4. 

Paes-Raja win; Sania, Bopanna lose
Leander Paes and Purav Raja sailed into the men’s doubles second round in the pair’s first outing at a Grand Slam but Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna crashed out of their respective events. Paes and Raja thrashed Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic and Viktor Troicki 6-1, 6-3.

Bopanna and Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevaslost to Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in an hour and 47 minutes in the men’s doubles second round match.

Sania and Ivan Dodig of Croatia lost to the Latvian-French pair of Jelena Ostapenko and Fabrice Martin 7-5, 3-6, 6-10 mixed doubles.

Key Results

Men’s singles 3rd round: Sam Querrey (USA x17) bt Radu Albot (MDA) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4, Mischa Zverev (GER x23) bt John Isner (USA x10) 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) bt Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) 6-2, 6-4, 6-4, Kevin Anderson (RSA x28) bt Borna Coric (CRO) 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, Denis Shapovalov (CAN) bt Kyle Edmund (GBR) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 1-0 - retired, Pablo Carreño-Busta (ESP x12) bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3, Lucas Pouille (FRA x16) bt Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, Diego Schwartzman (ARG) bt Marin Cilic (CRO x5) 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-4.

Women’s singles 3rd round: Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP) bt Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, Venus Williams (USA x9) bt Maria Sakkari (GRE) 6-3, 6-4, Petra Kvitova (CZE x13) bt Caroline Garcia (FRA x18) 6-0, 6-4, Garbine Muguruza (ESP x3) bt Magdaléna Rybáriková (SVK x31) 6-1, 6-1, Julia Goerges (GER) bt Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) 6-3, 6-3, Sloane Stephens (USA) bt Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 6-2, 6-4, Anastasija Sevastova (LAT x16) bt Donna Vekic (CRO) 6-2, 6-3, Maria Sharapova (RUS) bt Sofia Kenin (USA) 7-5, 6-2.