By Bill Scott Aug 30, 2008, 19:26 GMT
New York - Rafael Nadal continued to impress in his first Grand Slam as a top seed, pumping out a 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 win over Serb Viktor Troicki for a spot in the fourth round of the US Open on Saturday.
The Spaniard has gone non-stop over the past months, winning French Open and Wimbledon titles over Roger Federer before claiming the Beijing Olympic gold this month.
Despite a punishing schedule, the 22-year-old is thriving on court. He won the last 11 games against the Serb after erasing a 1-3 second-set deficit to claim a runaway win in just under two hours, despite 11 aces from his 71st-ranked opponent.
'I had a good passing shot on a break point that gave me a lot of confidence,' said Nadal, who has won 41 of his last 42 matches.
'I'm very happy with how I'm playing this year. Every round here with the best players in the world is very difficult.'
The Spaniard moved into a Labour Day holiday showdown with the brightest of the American young guns after Sam Querrey, 55th, cut Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic down to size 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.
Nadal beat the Californian youngster in their only other meeting at Cincinnati in 2006, but Querrey says he - as well as Nadal - are different players now.
'That was one of my first matches. Like I turned pro in June and I played him in, like, early August.
'Hopefully I've gotten a lot better since then - he has too. It should be a good match. I don't have anything to lose, so I can go out there and rip away and take some chances.'
Querrey and Karlovic, two of the game's biggest hitters, rained down 44 aces with the Croatian managing 24 in defeat.
Querrey will be playing in the fourth round of a major for the first time in his two-year career.
Five-time Wimbledon winner Venus Williams duplicated a victory from 2007 as she again beat Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko, producing a 6-2, 6-1 thrashing.
Williams, seeded seventh, set up a clash with Polish ninth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, a winner over Slovak Dominika Cibulkova 6-0, 6- 3. Williams beat Bondarenko at the same stage in the event a year ago.
Williams lost her only previous match against the teenaged Radwanska in Luxembourg in 2006.
'I felt like I took my time between points, (I was) just hitting it right, just finding my timing,' said the American, who is searching for a first New York trophy since 2001.
'I had a brief intermission this summer with some injury, but I've had a chance to really play a lot of big matches in succession instead of on and off the tour. I think that's helped me a lot.'
The American added: 'I'm definitely at my best now, I think I understand the game more. I'm trying different kind of shots lately, trying to add some variety.'
Williams spent less than an hour in dominating Bondarenko, with nine aces and four breaks of serve.
Williams is yearning to return a champion at Flushing Meadows, where her last success came with back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001, beating her sister Serena in the second year.
Radwanska holds three WTA titles this season, taking control as the most successful women's tennis player in Polish history.
Amelie Mauresmo ended the dream run of Julie Coin, who stunned world number one Ana Ivanovic in the second round, dismissing her inexperienced fellow Frenchwoman 6-4, 6-4.
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