New York: Former champion Andy Roddick was awarded a place in the quarter finals of the US Open on Monday when his opponent, Tomas Berdych, retired with breathing problems.

The American fifth seed was leading 7-6, 2-0 when Czech Berdych quit, setting up Roddick for a likely clash with three-times defending champion Roger Federer.

Berdych consulted the trainer on several occasions in the first set but still managed to fight back from a break down and force a set point.

However, Roddick won the tiebreak 8-6 and once he broke in the second game of the second set to lead 2-0, Berdych decided he could not go on.

Another former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova got off her stomach and closed the match, beating Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 6-3 Monday to make last eight.

Kuznetsova needed five match points in the final set to win. She finished it off with a strong, crosscourt forehand that Azarenka chased into the corner, losing her hat on the way.

Earlier in the set, the fourth-seeded Kuznetsova was the one who tried without success to track down a shot. In the sixth game, the 2004 champion charged toward the net and skidded, doing the splits and winding up sprawled on the court.

The Russian got up easily and went on to eliminate the 18-year-old from Belarus. Kuznetsova next plays another unseeded opponent, Agnes Szavay of Hungary.

Szavay moved on by defeating Julia Vakulenko of Ukraine 6-4, 7-6 (1). Ranked No. 31, Szavay is playing in her first U.S. Open — her two other previous Grand Slam appearances ended in second-round losses at Wimbledon and the French Open this year.

Late on Sunday, top seed and world No. 1 Justine Henin demolished 15th seed Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-2 in just 59 minutes in the fourth round.

Up next for the Belgian is Serena Williams.

For Serena, it’s a familiar match-up. She will face Henin in the quarter finals at a third consecutive major, having lost to her at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Sister Venus never lost her serve during a 6-4, 6-2 drubbing of Ana Ivanovic to set up a possible clash between the American sisters in the final four.

A Venus-Serena match-up would be their fourth at Flushing Meadows and the first since meeting in the 2005 fourth round.

“That would be awesome because it would mean that there is a Williams in the final and it would mean that Americans have a chance to win,” said Venus.

However, standing in the way of that possible clash is Henin.

“We both have a lot of character and a lot of personality,” Henin said of Serena. “We both have been very strong mentally on the court the last few years. “There’s a lot of respect professionally between the two of us, that’s for sure.

Venus will play No. 3 Jelena Jankovic. The Serbian shook off a second-set lapse and an early break in the third to roar into the quarter finals with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 victory over Sybille Bammer of Austria.

Jankovic said her cause was not helped by being forced to wait for two men’s five-setters to finish before her match was able to start in the Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Jankovic said she had arrived at the National Tennis Center in time to practise at 1pm. The Serb, a semi-finalist here last year, did not start her match until about 9pm.

The day’s biggest surprise came in the final match, when 88th-ranked Ernests Gulbis of Latvia ousted No. 8 Tommy Robredo 6-1, 6-3, 6-2, winning in a mere 91 minutes, hitting 39 winners to Robredo’s seven.

In other men’s matches, No. 17 Carlos Moya edged Philipp Kohlschreiber 4-6, 7-5, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4; No. 23 Juan Monaco beat fellow-Argentine Agustin Calleri 7-6, 6-2, 6-4; and No. 20 Juan Ignacio Chela ousted upset No. 12 Ivan Ljubicic 6-4 6-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Leander, Sania advance

The Indians had mixed fortunes. Leander Paes and Meghann Shaughnessy beat Ashley Harkleroad and Justin Gimelstob 6-3, 6-4 to enter the mixed doubles semis. Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek upset second seeds Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur 2-6, 7-5, 7-5 to advance in women’s doubles semis. Sania and Mahesh Bhupathi, however, bowed 4-6, 1-6 to Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi in the mixed quarter final.
Poojashree Venkatesh’s campaign in the junior girls ended when she lost 3-6, 2-6 to Korean Sung-Hee Han.

(AGENCIES)