Djokovic and Alcaraz enter US Open last 16 as Sabalenka avenges defeat

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic edged closer to a semifinal showdown at the US Open on Friday as Aryna Sabalenka avenged the memory of a bitter defeat to power into the last 16.

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Spanish second seed Alcaraz and Serbian legend Djokovic both booked their passage into the last 16 with comfortable victories and now stand just two wins away from meeting in the last four.

Alcaraz breezed past Italian 32nd seed Luciano Darderi in emphatic fashion, winning 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 on the Arthur Ashe Stadium while Djokovic, who is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, took care of Britain's Cam Norrie 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 6-3.

Alcaraz’s one hour 44-minute victory sends the 2022 US Open champion into a meeting on Sunday against France’s Arthur Rinderknech, who defeated compatriot Benjamin Bonzi 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2.

The five-time Grand Slam singles champion admitted he had been nervous about having to open the day's play at 11.30am local time.

“I'm not an early morning person so it's difficult for me to wake up in the morning,” Alcaraz said. “One of the good things today though I woke up early, did the warm up and felt good.”

Alcaraz needed a medical timeout while leading 5-4 in the second set for treatment on his right knee, but later said he had no injury concerns.