Djokovic, Kvitova in pre-quarters of US Open 2020

Washington, Sep. 5 (IANS): Tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Petra Kvitova made it to the last 16 of the ongoing US Open after winning the third-round matches in their respective categories.

In men’s singles, Djokovic defeated No. 28 seed Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 in a match that lasted One hour and 42 minutes at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday.

“It was a very good performance from my side. I managed to read his serve well,” the top-seeded player said after the match as per the ATP Tour website. “I found my way, especially after the first set. The second and third sets were a really great feeling on the court.

“I’ve been playing well the past couple of weeks, training well, focussing on the right things, maintaining that level of performance and hoping for the best. I’m feeling confident about my game and taking that to every match I play,” he added.

Awaiting him in the next round is No. 20 seed Pablo Carreno Busta, who breezed past Ricardas Berankis 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.

In women’s singles, No.6 seed Kvitova moved past Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the round of 16 at a Grand Slam event for the 20th time in her career.

“I think the whole match was at a pretty good level,” Kvitova told the media, after her win. “We both played nice tennis, I would say.” She will next face another hard-hitting American Shelby Rogers, who ousted Madison Brengle earlier on Friday.