Novak Djokovic continued his dominance of Richard Gasquet on Saturday beating the French tennis player in straight sets to move smoothly into the US Open last 16.
Sixth-seeded Djokovic, seeking to add to the US Open titles he won in 2011 and 2015, triumphed 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 before a rowdy night crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. It was his 13th victory over Gasquet in 14 career meetings.
Djokovic, irked by a lapse of concentration that cost him a set against Tennys Sandgren in the previous round, sailed through the first two sets against Gasquet, AFP reported.
Up a break at 3-2 in the third, he found himself fighting off two break points -- letting loose a roar and exhorting the crowd after coming out on top in a rally that had the stands rocking.
In another match, Roger Federer hammered Nick Kyrgios a 6-4 6-1 7-5 and stormed into the fourth round of the US Open on Saturday.
With all three of their previous meetings requiring a third-set tiebreak to decide the winner, a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium had expected high drama but instead witnessed a rout as Federer recorded his third win against the unpredictable Australian.
While the 37-year-old Federer has mined the most out of his immense skill to capture a record 20 Grand Slam titles, including five US Opens, Kyrgios remains one of the sport’s great enigmas, widely viewed as one of tennis’s great talents and biggest underachievers.
