New York
Three-time champion at the Flushing Meadows Novak Djokovic, was never tested as he marched past the No. 28 seed Jan-Lennard Struff, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 at the US Open on Friday night.
Djokovic, top seeded, was never really pushed by the German, who has taken just one set off the Serb in their five career meetings.
The two-time Grand Slam champion Osaka eventually figured out a way to turn a tight one into a runaway and beat 18-year-old Marta Kostyuk 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-2 by claiming the final five games.
"It was a very, very good performance from my side," Djokovic said after recording his 600th career win on hard courts.
Djokovic will be a heavy favourite when he faces 20th seed Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain in the fourth round on Sunday.
Croatian Borna Coric saved six match points as he rallied from 5-1 down in the fourth set to stun Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7(2) 6-4 4-6 7-5 7-6(4) and send the fourth seed tumbling out of the championship.
Coric looked down for the count in the fourth but fought back to force a decider at an empty Louis Armstrong Stadium.
David Goffin seeded seventh was made to work hard by Serbian Filip Krajinovic before clinching a 6-1 7-6(5) 6-4and move into the fourth round for the fourth consecutive year here.
Goffin will face either 12th-seeded Canadian power-hitter Denis Shapovalov or home favourite and number 19 seed Taylor Fritz for a place in the quarterfinals.
Fifth seed Alexander Zverev overcame a slow start to dispatch France's Adrian Mannarino 6-7(4) 6-4 6-2 6-2 at the US Open on Friday in a match that was delayed by health officials for over 130 minutes.
Denis Shapovalov won the battle of North American young guns by grinding out a 3-6 6-3 4-6 7-6(5) 6-2 win over Taylor Fritz on Friday to move into the fourth round.
Next up for Shapovalov is Belgium seventh seed David Goffin who was a 6-1 7-6(5) 6-4 winner over Serbia's Filip Krajinovic.
In the women's section, Naomi Osaka spiked her racket after one errant forehand late in the second set, then flung it the length of the baseline after a missed backhand return ceded that tiebreaker.
Sometimes, that's the sort of reaction it takes to right things for Osaka. And, perhaps surprisingly, she needed whatever push she could get in third-round match.
The two-time Grand Slam champion Osaka eventually figured out a way to turn a tight one into a runaway and beat 18-year-old Marta Kostyuk 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-2 by claiming the final five games.
"While I was playing, honestly, I was cursing myself out," Osaka said during an on-court interview, "so you wouldn't want to know what I was saying."
After taking things out on her racket, Osaka sat with a white towel draped over head during a changeover.
"It's what I do in times of extreme anger and frustration," she said.
Another past US Open champion moving into the fourth round was 2016 titlist Angelique Kerber, who defeated 20-year-old American Ann Li 6-3, 6-4. Kerber's next opponent is another American, 28th-seeded Jennifer Brady, a 6-3, 6-3 winner against Caroline Garcia.
Next up for Osaka will be big hitter Anett Kontaveit, an Estonian seeded 14th. She had a much easier time in a 6-3, 6-2 win over No. 24 Magda Linette.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova beat 63rd-ranked American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-3. She'll face another American, 93rd-ranked Shelby Rogers, in the next round.
"A turning point," Osaka would say later.
She fended off every one of those and held to 2-all, beginning her match-closing run.
"I'm kind of scared how she's going to be in the future," said Osaka, who played with tape wrapping her left hamstring, which has been a problem since last week.
"She has no fear."
Bopanna-Shapovalov stay alive
Experienced Indian Rohan Bopanna and his Canadian partner Denis Shapovalov advanced to the second round of the men's doubles event after a straight-set win here.
Bopanna and Shapovalov hardly broke a sweat to get past their American rivals Ernesto Escobedo and Noah Rubin 6-2 6-4 in their tournament opener that lasted one hour and 22 minutes on Friday.
The Indo-Canadian pair will next play sixth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies.
Bopanna is the lone surviving Indian in the tournament after the exits of Sumit Nagal and Divij Sharan.
