US Open 2016 Day 8: Andy Murray Beats Grigor Dimitrov To Reach Quarterfinals

Andy Murray lost only five games to cruise to a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Bulgarian 22nd seed Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round of the U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows on Monday night.

US Open 2016 Day 8: Andy Murray Beats Grigor Dimitrov To Reach Quarterfinals

The 29-year-old No. 2-seed Scot, the 2012 U.S. Open champion, will next face Japanese sixth-seed Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Nishikori impressed in a 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win over Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic. Wednesday’s other quarterfinal will see Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro face off against third-seeded Swiss Stan Wawrinka. On Tuesday, the first quarterfinal will see a matchup of two Frenchmen: No. 10-seed Gael Monfils and No. 24-seed Lucas Pouille. No. 1-seed Novak Djokovic and No. 9-seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France will face off in Tuesday’s second quarterfinal.

Wawrinka eliminated Ukraine’s Illya Marchenko 6-4 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-3, while Del Potro, champion in 2009, led Dominic Thiem 6-3 3-2 when the No. 8-seed Austrian retired with a knee injury.

In the men’s doubles, Jamie Murray and Brazil’s Bruno Soares defeated American Brian Baker and New Zealand’s Marcus Daniell 6-3 7-6 (9-7) to advance to the last eight.

Dimitrov won his previous match against Murray at the Miami Open in March, but on Monday, he only managed a few points against the Scottish superstar.

“I played extremely well,” said Murray. “Tactically I played a good match, made very few unforced errors and made it tough for Grigor.”

Murray gained a lead thanks to 140mph serves and thunderous groundstrokes. He began the third set by winning another difficult rally on route to an early break and then saving two break points with more big serves.

With just one game left to secure the victory, Murray argued with umpire Carlos Ramos at the changeover about spectators moving between points.

However, nothing ultimately proved to distract the Scotsman who, following a short rain delay, finished the match in just over two hours.

“Once I got up in the score and wasn’t giving him any free points, I could sense it was getting tough for him,” said Murray. “I just wanted to keep my foot on the gas.”

He also hit his serve speed record: an incredible 141mph.

Dimitrov admitted how exhausted he was after the match, and praised his opponent.

“Andy is the best player right now out there,” the Bulgarian said. “I ran out of fuel, I think, physically and mentally.”

On the women’s side, meanwhile, second-seed German Angelique Kerber will face seventh-seed Italian Roberta Vinci in Tuesday’s first quarterfinal. Kerber defeated 14th-seeded Czech Petra Kvitová 6-3, 7-5 on Sunday, while Vinci saw off Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko 7-6, 6-2, also on Sunday.

Tuesday’s second quarterfinal will see Denmark’s Caroline Wozniack face Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova. Also advancing to the last eight are top-seed Serena Williams, who beat Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova 6-2, 6-3 on Monday, No. 10-seed Czech Karolína Plíšková, who defeated sixth-ranked Venus Williams 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 Monday, fifth-ranked Romanian Simona Halep, who beat 11th-ranked Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 7-5, and Croatia’s Ana Konjuh, who beat fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwańska of Poland 6-4, 6-4.

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 05: Andy Murray of Great Britain returns a shot to Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria during his fourth round Men’s Singles match on Day Eight of the 2016 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 5, 2016 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)