Leylah Fernandez knocks out Kerber

Alcaraz becomes youngest in Open era to reach men's quarters

• Krejcikova beats Muguruza to reach quarter-finals
• Svitolina stays in hunt by beating Halep in fourth round
• Speedy Medvedev makes quick work of Evans.

NEW YORK: Leylah Fernandez brushed aside yet another former champion as the fearless Canadian teenager stormed into the quarter-finals of the US Open on Sunday with a 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2 win over 16th seed Angelique Kerber.

It was a precocious and poised performance from Fernandez, who celebrates her 19th birthday on Monday and had already sent a jolt through Flushing Meadows on Friday when she stunned third seed and defending champion Naomi Osaka.

There would be no letdown for Fernandez after the biggest win of her fledgling career, the youngster soaking up the energy from a seething Louis Armstrong crowd after dropping the opening set to three-times Grand Slam winner Kerber.

Barbora Krejcikova survived a Garbine Muguruza fightback and late injury issue to claim a 6-3, 7-6(4) win and move into the quarter-finals, while her Spanish opponent's run at Flushing Meadows ended at a familiar roadblock.

Playing in the US Open main draw for the first time after failing to qualify on five occasions, Czech Krejcikova has suddenly found form on the New York hardcourts, at times looking as comfortable as she did earlier this year on clay winning the French Open.

However, Krejcikova, who called a medical time out late in the second set, looked in distress after the match and was helped off the court by medical staff.

For Muguruza, it was a familiar end to her Flushing Meadows campaign.

The Spaniard has won the French Open and Wimbledon, reached the final in Australia but has failed to reach the quarter-finals at the US Open.

Olympic bronze medallist Elina Svitolina stepped up her bid to secure a first major title when she produced a ruthless performance to dispatch Simona Halep 6-3, 6-3 in the fourth round.

Following the shock exits of pre-tournament favourites Ash Barty and Naomi Osaka, fifth seed Svitolina will be among those whose chances of triumphing at Flushing Meadows have been boosted and she made sure she stayed in the hunt by getting rid of another multiple Grand Slam champion.

Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest player in the Open era to reach the quarter-finals of the men's tournament at Flushing Meadows after the 18-year-old Spaniard beat Germany's Peter Gojowczyk 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0.

Alcaraz, who is 18 years and four months old, is eight days younger than Andre Agassi when the American reached the 1988 US Open quarter-finals and semi-finals, according to US Open stats.

The Spaniard is also the youngest to reach this stage in New York since Brazilian Thomaz Koch in 1963, five years before the sport turned professional, when the tournament was known as the US Championships.

Next up for the Spaniard is 12th-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Felix Auger-Aliassime broke through Frances Tiafoe's defences to win 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(6), 6-4 in a fourth-round battle between two of the sport's brightest young talents.

Daniil Medvedev fired off 13 aces to end British hope Dan Evans' challenge with a quickfire 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory.

Evans had survived a fifth set tiebreak against Alexei Popyrin to reach the last 16 but on day seven of the hardcourt major, he was no match for the Russian second seed.

Evans handed Medvedev the early break with a double fault in the fourth game of the first set and never recovered from that setback as the Russian belted 43 winners.

Medvedev, who lost in the final to Rafa Nadal two years ago, closed out the final game of the second set in less than a minute with a pair of aces and a service winner and won all of his first-serve points in the third on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

He sealed the match in one hour and 43 minutes to roars from the rowdy New York crowd, which he won over in a remarkable transformation from villain to fan-favourite in 2019, reaching the quarter-finals for the third year in a row.

"I knew I had to keep my focus from start to finish. I was serving good," said Medvedev. "I was trying to change up the game, mix up the game, and I'm really happy that I beat such tough opponent with that score and with that much energy left."

He next faces Dutch qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp, who continued his unexpected run in the tournament by taming Argentine battler Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1. Agencies

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