The second seed Roger Federer has powered to a straight sets win over Roberto Bautista Agut charging into the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open for the 10th time in 11 years, 6-4 6-3 6-2.
Roger Federer winning the 2014 Cincinnati Open. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The 26-year-old Spaniard was handed the unenviable task of trying to upset the 17-time grand slam winner in Arthur Ashe Stadium, where the Swiss maestro has a dazzling 25-1 record.
Next up for the five-time U.S. Open champion is in-form Frenchman Gael Monfils, who earlier surprised seventh seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov and has yet to drop a set on his way to the last eight.
Gael Monfils failed to convert two match points in his US Open quarter final against Roger Federer. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Monfils, seeded 20th, stayed away from the showy highlight reel shots he has become known for and instead focused on a more workmanlike approach to stop the player dubbed "Baby Fed" for his all around game that resembles Swiss maestro Roger Federer.
The lanky Frenchman is now back to the U.S. Open quarter-finals for the first time since 2010.
Croatian 14th seed Marin Cilic reached his third US Open quarter-final with a 5 set win over France's Gilles Simon.
Cilic, also a quarter-finalist in 2009 and 2012, will face either Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic or Austria's Dominic Thiem for a place in the semi-finals.
Cilic hit 23 aces, 70 winners and committed 76 unforced errors in the four hour 13 minute clash.
His victory comes 12 months after he was forced to miss the tournament as he sat out a doping ban.
Meanwhile, the former finalist Caroline Wozniacki blew away Sara Errani 6-0 6-1 to book a semi-final clash with China's Peng Shuai.
Wozniacki, a former world number one who was the 2009 runner-up at Flushing Meadows, reached her first grand slam semi-final since the 2011 US Open.
She needed only 65 minutes to dismiss 2012 French Open finalist Errani, who didn't hold serve once in the match.
Shuai ended Belinda Bencic's fairytale Open debut in the quarter-finals, but the Swiss teen took plenty of comfort from her maiden trip to a grand slam quarter-finals.
Swiss tennis player Belinda Bencic Photo: PHOTOSPORT
For the big-hitting 17-year-old who graduated to the women's tour after winning the junior titles at last year's French Open and Wimbledon, her experience at the year's final grand slam in Flushing Meadows will serve as a building block.
Bencic announced her arrival as a major contender with an impressive march to the last eight that included upset wins over 31st seed Kurumi Nara of Japan, sixth seed Angelique Kerber of Germany and ninth-seeded Serb Jelena Jankovic, a former world number one.
Bencic was the youngest player to reach the U.S. Open quarters since compatriot Martina Hingis in 1997.
