Pliskova and Americans dominate US Open

World No.1 Karolina Pliskova needed just 46 minutes to defeat Jennifer Brady at Arthur Ashe Stadium and punch her ticket to the quarter-finals at the US Open.

After facing a match point during her third-round battle against Zhang Shuai on Saturday, Pliskova was never pushed in the 6-1 6-0 demolition.

Brady struggled mightily with her service game, where she was only able to connect on 39 per cent of her first serves compared with Pliskova’s 67 per cent.

American Brady also struggled to read Pliskova’s powerful serve and failed to convert either of her two break point chances.

“I think she was a little bit nervous,” Pliskova said.

“It was her first time on Ashe so I tried to take advantage of that.”

Next up for Pliskova is 20th-seeded American CoCo Vandeweghe, who reached her first US Open quarter-final by beating Lucie Safarova 6-4 7-6 (7-2).

The Pat Cash-coached Vandeweghe is into the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament for the third time this year — making it to the semi-finals at the Australian Open.

In Monday’s final match, Madison Keys grabbed the last four games to eliminate fourth seed Elina Svitolina in three sets.

The 7-6 (7-2) 1-6 6-4 victory meant four US women are in the last eight for the first time in 15 years.

It is the first time 15th seed Keys has progressed to the quarter-finals in New York.

Next for Keys is a match against Kaia Kanepi of Estonia, who beat Russian Daria Kasatkina 6-4 6-4 to become the first qualifier in 36 years to reach the last eight.

The 32-year-old Estonian is ranked 418th after missing much of the past two years with problems in the soles of both feet and a virus known as a precursor to mononucleosis.

“It’s pretty amazing where I am now, compared to where I was few months ago,” Kanepi said.

Kanepi was able to get into the qualifying event by virtue of a protected ranking.

An all-American semi-final line-up is a possibility with Vandeweghe, Keys, Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens, who won their fourth-round matches on Sunday, in separate sections of the draw.

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