Serena Williams survived a third-round scare to defeat 2017 champion Sloane Stephens and stay on course for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title.
The 38-year-old American dropped the opening set before staging a comeback to seal a 2-6 6-2 6-2 victory and set up a fourth-round meeting with Greek Maria Sakkari, who beat Williams at the Western & Southern Open last month.
Also advancing in the women’s draw was second seed Sofia Kenin, who overcame a sluggish start to beat Tunisian Ons Jabeur 7-6(4) 6-3 and move into the fourth round for the first time.
Former world number one Victoria Azarenka breezed past Iga Swiatek 6-4 6-2 while Belgian Elise Mertens defeated Caty McNally 7-5 6-1.
Seventh seed Madison Keys dropped the opening set to France’s Alize Cornet before retiring early in the second set with a neck injury.
In the men’s draw, Austrian second seed Dominic Thiem staved off a spirited fightback from Marin Cilic to beat the former champion 6-2 6-2 3-6 6-3.
Thiem will next face Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, who made it to the last-16 of a Grand Slam for the first time with a 6-1 6-0 6-4 win over France’s Corentin Moutet.
Daniil Medvedev, last year’s runner-up, crushed American J.J. Wolf 6-3 6-3 6-2 while Australia’s Alex de Minaur recovered from a second-set ‘bagel’ to beat 11th seed Karen Khachanov 6-4 0-6 4-6 6-3 6-1.
Second seed Dominic Thiem overcame a mid-match wobble to defeat Croatian Marin Cilic 6-2 6-2 3-6 6-3 and set up a fourth-round clash with Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Second seed Sofia Kenin secured a spot in the fourth round of the U.S. Open for the first time in her career with a 7-6(4) 6-3 victory over Turkey’s Ons Jabeur. Kenin will next face 16th seed Elise Mertens.
American Madison Keys, the 2017 runner-up, dropped the opening set of her third-round encounter against Frenchwoman Alize Cornet before retiring with a neck injury. Cornet was leading 7-6(4) 3-2 when Keys decided she was unable to continue.
