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Rafael Nadal has moved one step closer to completing his career Grand Slam.
Nadal breezed by Gilles Simon in a third round US Open match on Sunday, winning 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in a little under two hours. He has yet to have his serve broken at Flushing Meadows.
Nadal will face Feliciano Lopez in the fourth round.
Americans haven't had the best time at tennis' majors this year. That seems to be changing in New York at the 2010 US Open.
Venus Williams, who was ousted at the quarterfinals or before at the year's first three majors, will get a fourth chance to make her first Grand Slam semifinal of 2010. The third-seeded Williams beat Shahar Peer 7-6 (7-3), 6-3.
Sam Querrey became the second American man to make the fourth round at Flushing Meadows, beating Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Mardy Fish had already made the fourth round, and John Isner has yet to play his third round match.
For more, visit SB Nation's tennis blog, The Daily Forehand.
At one point, Ana Ivanovic was supposed to be the next big thing in women's tennis.
At this point, Ivanovic might settle for winning a few more points against the top tier of her sport.
Second-seeded Kim Clijsters needed just 59 minutes to dispatch the lanky Serbian, 6-2, 6-1, and advance to the 2010 US Open quarterfinals. For Clijsters, the defending US Open champion. it was just another dominant performance at Flushing Meadows in a late-career renaissance.
For Ivanovic, it's something like Exhibit Q in a puzzling plummet that began shortly after she claimed the world No. 1 ranking in 2008. She told the New York Times that nerves were to blame today.
"I think nerves crept in," Ivanovic said. "I just felt like, you know, I was on the big stage again. I didn’t have that feeling for a long time. Lots of emotions came back, and I felt just a little slow and just a little bit, you know, out of it. But she played well. I had my opportunities in the beginning that I didn’t convert, so that was a little bit disappointing."
Clijsters has yet to drop a set in her 2010 Open, and has lost five games or fewer in each of her four matches. She will play either Samantha Stosur or Elena Dementieva in the quarterfinals.
For more, visit SB Nation's tennis blog, The Daily Forehand.
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Odds Shark 
Andy Murray Suffers Another Early U.S. Open Exit
Andy Murray became the first of the top five seeds to exit the U.S. Open. Aside from a finals appearance on in 2008, this has been the norm for the Scotsman, who was ousted in the third round by 25th seed Stanislas Wawrinka 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 6-3.
Murray was severely hobbled by twice receiving treatment to his left thigh, as well as treatment to the elbow and neck. He looked every bit the part during the match, where he often struggled to move at full speed.
Not that Switzerland's Wawrinka was without injury concern, as he too called for a thigh strap during a third set in which both competitors nearly dropped out because of injury.
Murray had a career record of 5-3 versus Wawrinka entering the match, the last being a classic five-set victory at Wimbledon last year. Murray came into the U.S. Open in good shape hoping to end Britain's 74-year streak without a grand slam singles champion.
Sep 05 9:17p by Michael Tunison - 0 comments