Serena Williams stormed into the US Open quarter-finals in record-smashing style on Monday by easing past Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova 6-2 6-3 to claim her record 308th grand slam match win.
The world number one needed just 68 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium court to overwhelm the 52nd-ranked Shvedova and surpass Roger Federer on the all-time list of matches won at tennis's four blue riband events.
“Oh wow, it is really exciting, this is where it all started so it is always so magical out here for me but 308 sounds pretty good,“ Williams said after moving a step closer to a record seventh US Open title.
“I just think winning 308 matches in general is pretty awesome. For that to be in a grand slam is pretty cool.
“It‘s a huge number. I think it‘s very significant actually. I think it‘s something that just really talks about the length of my career, in particular.
“I‘ve been playing for a really long time.“
It has been another dominating run into the last eight for the 34-year-old American, who has yet to be broken and has faced just one break point in four matches while never spending more than 68 minutes on court.
Shvedova did not put Williams under any stress and failed to even register one break chance the entire match against the 22-times grand slam winner.
“I just feel like I‘m going out there doing what I need to do,“ said Williams. “I‘m not overplaying, I‘m not underplaying. I‘m just trying to play my way into this tournament.“
Greatest
Next up for Williams is Romanian fifth seed Simona Halep, who beat 11th-seeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2 7-5.
There are more major milestones to be had if Williams can reach the winner's circle again on September 10th. A seventh US Open title would break the professional era record for career grand slam titles that Williams currently shares with Steffi Graf and leave her one behind all-time record holder Margaret Court.
“Everyone I play, they play a step up and above their ranking,“ said Williams. “I think that‘s one of the reasons I‘m able to hang.
“Everyone I‘m playing is playing like they‘re number one. To me it doesn‘t really matter who I play because I have to expect they‘re going to play the match of their life.”
Men’s tournament
Meanwhile Andy Murray made easy work of Grigor Dimitrov 6-1 6-2 6-2 this morning to storm into the quarter-finals.
With the year’s final grand slam entering its second week, Murray posted a statement win by dispatching the 22nd-seeded Bulgarian in a speedy two hours to signal he is well prepared to extend a dream summer that has included a second Wimbledon title and a second Olympic gold medal.
Dimitrov, who ended Murray’s title defence at the 2014 Wimbledon and came out on top in their last meeting earlier this season in Miami, represented a potentially tricky opponent for the second-seeded Scot.
But Murray was firing on all cylinders, rating the match that included a career high 141-mph ace to close out the first set as one of his best this season.
“It was definitely up there,” said Murray. “I played very well today with very few unforced errors and made it very tough for Grigor.
“That would be the fastest serve I’ve hit, the other best serve was here at the US Open around 138 but I have never hit over 140.
“I think that was lucky, I only did it once.”
Murray plays Japan's Kei Nishikori in the last eight.
