Unseeded Australian John Millman has turned the US Open upside down with a colossal fourth-round upset win over 20-times grand slam champion Roger Federer.
In a life-changing performance, Millman left Federer - and fans - at Arthur Ashe Stadium shellshocked with a 3-6 7-5 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-3) comeback victory to book a quarter-final date with another of tennis's all-time greats, Novak Djokovic.
Earlier, Djokovic sweated his way to a round of 16 victory over Joao Sousa as the heat returned to the US Open.
Unseeded Sousa, the first Portuguese player to reach the fourth round of any grand slam, never looked a threat to progress any further as his run came to an end in two hours.
The biggest concern for Djokovic might well have been the conditions as the heat returned after a few days of relief.
The 31-year-old Serbian sixth seed left the court at two sets and 2-1 up for a medical evaluation.
The 13-times Grand Slam winner had made easy work of the opening set, breaking Sousa twice, the second time to close out set.
Things got tougher in the second as a sluggish Djokovic laboured before again clinching the set with a break.
As the temperatures rose so did the tempers, both players engaging in animated arguments with chair umpire James Keothavong over points.
Djokovic, however, was able to keep is cool just long enough to finish off Sousa with another late break.
Nishikori continues run
Kei Nishikori will be hoping to make another deep run at his most successful grand slam event after he outclassed Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3 6-2 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals on another scorchingly hot day in New York.
The Japanese 21st seed, a finalist at Flushing Meadows in 2014 and a semi- finalist in 2016, fired 29 winners to end the run of Kohlschreiber, who had beaten fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the previous round.
Nishikori appeared to be racing towards an easy win before Kohlschreiber unexpectedly broke the 28-year-old to level the third set at 5-5.
But that only delayed the inevitable as Nishikori kept his focus to seal the win and extend his perfect record against the German to 3-0.
"(I was) really lucky to finish in three sets -- it was really hot on the court," a sweat-soaked Nishikori said in an on-court interview. "I think we both struggled a little bit with the heat."
Nishikori will next face either seventh seed Marin Cilic, which will be a rematch of the 2014 final, or Belgian 10th seed David Goffin.
Reuters
