Sweet 16: All the best pictures from the US Open fourth round
From Serena Williams, Tsvetana Pironkova and Victoria Azarenka making it a record three mothers in the US Open quarterfinals to Yulia Putintseva's magnificent epic, all the best pictures from the fourth round of the 2020 US Open.
01
/17
One of three former US Open champions in the last 16, Angelique Kerber was bidding to make her first quarterfinal in New York since her 2016 title run against Jennifer Brady.
Mike Lawrence/USTA
02
/17
However, Brady's stellar form showed no sign of letting up as she conceded just five games to Kerber, sealing her fourth win over a former major champion in 2020 and a Grand Slam quarterfinal debut.
Mike Lawrence/USTA
03
/17
In the second week of a Grand Slam for the seventh time in her past 12 main draws, No.8 seed Petra Martic battled Yulia Putintseva for two hours and 37 minutes with a maiden US Open quarterfinal spot on the line.
Darren Carroll/USTA
04
/17
It was two-time Roland Garros quarterfinalist Putintseva who emerged as the victor of one of the best matches of the tournament, defeating Martic 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 to become the first Kazakh quarterfinalist at the US Open.
Darren Carroll/USTA
05
/17
No.6 seed Petra Kvitova was aiming for a third US Open quarterfinal - but had already suffered a loss to Shelby Rogers on the Grand Slam stage, losing by a wild 6-0, 6-7(3), 6-0 scoreline in the third round of Roland Garros 2016.
Pete Staples/USTA
06
/17
In another high-quality contest, Rogers followed up her 2016 'bagel sandwich' with a 'tiebreak sandwich', saving four match points to squeeze past Kvitova - who double faulted on the fourth - 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(6).
Pete Staples/USTA
07
/17
In the US Open last 16 for the first time since her 2017 debut, Anett Kontaveit had yet to defeat Naomi Osaka in four previous meetings, but would have been buoyed by stretching her all the way last week in Cincinnati.
Getty Images
08
/17
Alert to the danger Kontaveit posed, though, 2018 champion Osaka was watertight and efficient in posting a no-nonsense straight-sets win this week.
Simon Bruty/USTA
09
/17
Maria Sakkari, bidding to become the first ever female Greek major quarterfinalist, also sought to replicate a Cincinnati result, where she had defeated Serena Williams in three dramatic sets.
Darren Carroll/USTA
10
/17
Like last week, Serena won the first set, lost the second on a tight tiebreak, and fell behind a break in the third - but this time, the six-time champion surged back for a 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 revenge over Sakkari.
Getty Images
11
/17
Fellow mother Tsvetana Pironkova has been one of the most remarkable stories of this year's US Open - her first tournament in over three years.
Mike Lawrence/USTA
12
/17
Pironkova's opponent, Alizé Cornet, was competing in her fifth Grand Slam fourth round following the 2009 Australian Open, Wimbledon 2014 and Roland Garros 2015 and 2017 - but had yet to reach a major quarterfinal.
Getty Images
13
/17
The Pironkova story wasn't over yet, though - after a riveting two-hour-and-49-minute battle involving 40-shot rallies, dropshots and a dramatic second-set comeback from Cornet saving a match point, the Bulgarian triumphed 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3.
Darren Carroll/USTA
14
/17
Karolina Muchova's smart, creative game took her to a set lead over Victoria Azarenka - just the second set the Western & Southern Open champion has dropped in New York over the past two weeks.
Pete Staples/USTA
15
/17
Azarenka fought back to extend her winning streak to nine with a 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 victory that sealed the two-time finalist's fourth US Open quarterfinal spot - and made it a record three mothers in a Grand Slam last eight.
Andrew Ong/USTA
16
/17
Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin was riding a 10-match winning streak in Grand Slams, had had beaten Elise Mertens on both previous occasions - though those matches had gone down to the wire.
Getty Images
17
/17
This time, Mertens got the win, the Prague finalist and Cincinnati semifinalist keeping up her good form for a 6-3, 6-3 win over Kenin and a second consecutive US Open quarterfinal.
Getty Images
