3:20 p.m.
Serena Williams’ dominating third-round victory at the U.S. Open was notable for a new career milestone: 307 Grand Slam wins.
Williams’ 6-2, 6-1 win over 47th-ranked Johanna Larsson of Sweden improved her major-tournament mark to 307-42, putting her one win up on Martina Navratilova among women and tying Roger Federer among all players in the Open era.
Appearing in a day match for the first time at this year’s tournament, Williams wore a new white outfit that made a fashion statement with bold, pink sleeves. In her post-match interview, she called them her “Wonder Woman sleeves.”
Williams lived up to that nickname, with no sign of a right shoulder problem that had hampered her leading into the tournament. She ripped six aces and 24 winners in a match that lasted just one hour.
2:20 p.m.
Eighth-seeded Dominic Thiem overcame a shaky start Saturday to secure a spot in the fourth round of the U.S. Open.
Thiem blasted 47 winners, 20 in the last set, on his way to a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 victory over 39th-ranked Pablo Carreno Busta. The Spaniard is now winless against top-10 players in 11 tries.
Thiem, a 23-year-old Austrian, is considered one of the game’s top young players. He’s had four tour wins and a run to the French Open semifinals this year.
He previously reached the fourth round at the U.S. Open in 2014.
Thiem will play the winner of the match later Saturday between Juan Martin del Potro and 11th-seeded David Ferrer.
1:50 p.m.
Fifth-seeded Simona Halep smashed her racket in frustration en route to a 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, third-round victory over 34th-ranked Timea Babos at the U.S. Open.
Halep, a semifinalist at Flushing Meadows a year ago, rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the deciding set and appeared to struggle with the power of the big-serving Hungarian, who blasted five aces and 25 total winners.
Halep threw down, and apparently cracked, her racket after losing a point late in the final set. It all ended just a few points later when Babos double-faulted on match point.
After the match, Halep said she wasn’t able to move well because of a back problem. She acknowledged she didn’t play her best, saying “I don’t know how I came back.”
Halep, whose best Grand Slam result was a run to the French Open final in 2014, next takes on 11th-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro for a spot in the quarterfinals.
12:40 p.m.
Carla Suarez Navarro has defeated Elena Vesnina to secure a spot in the U.S. Open round of 16.
The 11th-seeded Spaniard’s 6-4, 6-3 victory over the 20th-seeded Vesnina marks the third time she has reached the fourth round or better at Flushing Meadows. Her best result was a quarterfinal run in 2013, losing to eventual champion Serena Williams.
Suarez Navarro next faces the winner of the match that has gone into a third set between fifth-seeded Simona Halep and 31st-seeded Timea Babos.
11 a.m.
Former champions Serena Williams, Andy Murray, Venus Williams and Juan Martin del Potro lead Saturday’s lineup at the U.S. Open, all of them seeking to book their spots in the round of 16.
Top-seeded Serena Williams, who is bidding for a record 23rd Grand Slam singles title, takes on 47th-ranked Johanna Larsson of Sweden in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Sister Venus, the sixth seed and oldest woman in the tournament at 36, plays later in Ashe against 26th-seeded Laura Siegemund of Germany.
On the men’s side, No 2-seed and 2012 champion Andy Murray plays in the afternoon in Ashe against 40th-ranked Paolo Lorenzi. In the nightcap in Ashe, 14th-seeded Nick Kyrgios gets his chance on center stage, facing 63rd-ranked Illya Marchenko of Ukraine.
The 2009 champion, Juan Martin del Potro, seeks to continue his comeback from wrist injuries with a tough matchup against 11th-seeded David Ferrer in Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Players will face cloudy skies and the coolest weather of the tournament so far, with highs only in the mid 70s.
