Toppers show essence, class!

World number one Novak Djokovic raced into the US Open quarter-finals for the loss of just three games while defending champion Andy Murray was again involved in a four-set duel. Top seeded Djokovic, the 2011 champion, wrapped up a place in his 18th successive Grand Slam quarter-final when he crushed Spanish world number 43 Marcel Granollers 6-3, 6-0, 6-0 in just 79 minutes. Andy Murray, the third seed, reached the quarter-finals for a third successive year with a 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win over Denis Istomin, the 64th-ranked Uzbek.

Djokovic will next tackle Russian 21st seed Mikhail Youzhny, a semi-finalist in 2006 and 2010, over whom he has an 5-3 career lead. Youzhny carved out a four-hour, 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 7-5 win over 2001 champion Lleyon Hewitt after trailing 4-1 in the fourth set and 5-2 in the fifth. Swiss ninth seed Stanislas Wawrinka reached the last eight by eliminating Czech fifth seed Tomas Berdych, a semi-finalist last year, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (8/6), 6-2.

Wawrinka will now face Murray for a place in the last four, trailing 8-5 in their series, although he did win their 2010 US Open third-round meeting. ‘I definitely played one of the best matches that I’ve played in my life here at the Arthur Ashe Stadium,’ Djokovic said after winning the last 15 games of the one-sided tie.

‘It was 3-all in the first set and then I managed to get the right advantage and I played flawless tennis.’ Ruthless defending champion Serena Williams breezed into the US Open semi-finals to book a showdown with Chinese fifth seed Li Na, who fought off nerves to battle her way into the final four.

World number one Williams, a 16-time Grand Slam winner seeking her fifth US Open crown and her ninth title of the year, dispatched 18th seed Carla Suarez Navarro 6-0, 6-0, in 52 minutes on the Spaniard’s 25th birthday yesterday.

‘I’m so happy to be in the smei-finals. It really feels great,’ Williams said. Li, the 2011 French Open champion, overcame nervous feelings for a 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 victory over Russian 24th seed Ekaterina Makarova. Reigning French Open champion Williams is 8-1 all-time against Li.  ‘She is playing some of the best tennis of her career,’ Williams said. ‘It’s going to be a tough match.’ Victoria Azarenka too progressed.