Williams thumps Schnyder as Roddick roars on
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-09-07 05:44

Andy Roddick, Serena Williams and Jennifer Capriati provided a Labour Day weekend treat as they turned on the style at the US Open on Sunday.

Capriati and Williams powered through their fourth round matches to set up a mouth-watering quarter-final, while Roddick blew away Guillermo Canas to set the pace in the men's draw.

Twice champion Williams, whose tennis is starting to talk as loudly as her raunchy outfits, blasted 12 aces to crush Switzerland's Patty Schnyder 6-4, 6-2.

Williams had a momentary scare early on as Schnyder, who won their previous meeting, threatened to break her opening service game.

But from that point on it was plain sailing for the third seed, who is relishing a first US Open meeting with Capriati, although the pair have met 16 times elsewhere.

"We always play each other, she's doing well and we both will fight to get to the semis," said Williams, who is yet to drop a set in the tournament despite being told by doctors to rest her suspect left knee rather than play at the Open.

"I wasn't supposed to come but I wouldn't have missed this for the world," Williams said. "The doctors' advice went in one ear and out the other.

"Usually the fans aren't cheering for me but here it's an unbelievable reception, it was really shocking to have all these people cheering for me."

Capriati, who reeled off 10 of the last 12 games to beat 12th seed Ai Sugiyama 7-5, 6-2, was also looking forward to facing Williams, despite trailing 10-6 in head-to-heads.

"It's pretty exciting," the 28-year-old said. "I feel like I'm playing well and my chances are very good."

Fast start

Defending champion Roddick got off to his trademark lightning start as he strong-armed his way to a 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Argentine claycourter Guillermo Canas.

Canas, enjoying a 13-match winning streak, hardly got a sniff against the dominant Roddick, who has lost just 18 games in nine sets here and only one in the opening sets.

"It's not a conscious thing (that I am starting so fast), I guess it's the hype of the Open," said the 22-year-old, who will play Spain's Tommy Robredo for a quarter-final spot.

"I had my game plan and took it to him."

Equally impressive was fourth seed Lleyton Hewitt, who remains on a collision course with Roddick in the semi-final.

The 2001 champion obliterated 30th seeded Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in the last match of the day to book a clash with Slovakia's Karol Beck - one of six unseeded players to reach the last 16.

Beck disposed of Russia's Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to reach the fourth round of a grand slam for the first time.

Former top five player Tommy Haas launched the day's play on Arthur Ashe with a straightforward 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 defeat of Brazilian qualifier Ricardo Mello, underlining his recovery from shoulder surgery that kept him out for the whole of 2003.

"It's just great to be back on the tennis court," the unseeded German said. "After not playing for so long, it's good to be back in the fourth round here and I'm enjoying myself."

Haas next faces 18-year-old Czech Tomas Berdych, the conqueror of Federer at the Olympics, who continued his impressive run to beat Mikhail Youzhny 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.

Classy Mauresmo

Women's second seed Amelie Mauresmo, still searching for a first grand slam title, joined Capriati and Williams in the quarter-finals with a classy 6-4, 6-2 stroll against Italy's Francesca Schiavone.

The French stylist could remove Justine Henin-Hardenne from the world number one spot next week, but she said all her energy was focused on a first major breakthrough.

"The main thing for me is really to win a slam," she said. "The rest is going to come - for example, if I win here I know I'm going to be number one."

Mauresmo faces French Open runner-up Elena Dementieva in the last eight after she recovered from a terrible start to beat an emotional Vera Zvonareva 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Zvonareva looked on course for victory when she romped through the first set only to suffer an emotional meltdown, collapsing into fits of tears and smashing her racket as Dementieva won seven of the last 10 games.

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