Nadal, Murray, Clijsters advance with ease at US Open

Rafael Nadal’s bid for a career Grand Slam and Andy Murray’s quest for his first Grand Slam title moved a step closer to a US Open semi-final collision course with impressive triumphs on Friday.

Reigning women’s champion Kim Clijsters breezed into the last 16 along with US third seed Venus Williams.

Wimbledon and French Open champion Nadal defeated 39th-ranked Denis Istomin 6-2, 7-6, 7-5 to reach a third-round match against Gilles Simon, who beat Philipp Kohlschreiber 4-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.

The top seed, trying to become only the seventh man to complete a career Grand Slam by winning his first US Open title, won the last six points of the tie-breaker and saved all seven break points he faced.

“I was a little bit lucky in the tie-breaker of the second set. That’s the truth,” Nadal said.

“He was playing really well. I started the match really well, kept working all the time.”

Murray sent off Dustin Brown 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 in a match halted about 20 minutes due to rain from nearby Hurricane Earl, which brushed the US eastern coast and brought brisk, swirling winds to the US Open.

Next for Murray is Swiss 25th seed Stanislas Wawrinka, who beat Juan Ignacio Chela 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.

Clijsters improved her US Open win streak to 17 matches, including her only Grand Slam title runs from 2005 and 2009, taking the last 12 games in a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Wimbledon semi-finalist Petra Kvitova.

Clijsters, who faces fellow former world number one Ana Ivanovic in the fourth round, fell behind 0-3 in 11 minutes before solving the winds.

“I just had to adjust and get used to the wind. It was tough,” Clijsters said.

“I was glad after those first three games I could get my serve going.”

Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open winner who has slid to 40th in the rankings, won the last nine games to oust French wildcard Virginie Razzano 7-5, 6-0 and match her best US Open run from 2007.

Williams downed Luxembourg’s Mandy Minella 6-2, 6-1.

US men’s hopefuls Sam Querrey and John Isner, who could face Murray in the round of 16 and quarter-finals respectively, delighted American fans with wins.

Querrey, seeded 20th, beat Marcel Granollers 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 while Wimbledon marathon man Isner ousted Marco Chiudinelli 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.

But 18-year-old US qualifier Ryan Harrison suffered a heartbreaking ouster, squandering three match points in a fifth-set tie-breaker to help Sergiy Stakhovsky win 6-3, 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6. Also reaching the third round was Argentina’s David Nalbandian, who missed the previous six Grand Slams with injuries but reached the third round by beating Florent Serra 7-5, 6-4, 6-2.

Results

(Women) Kanepi bt Jankovic 6-2, 7-6; Sharapova bt Capra 6-0, 6-0; Wozniacki bt Chan 6-1, 6-0.

(Men) Soderling bt De Bakker 6-2, 6-3, 6-3; Monfils bt Tipsarevic 7-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4.