• US Open

Djokovic destroys Granollers but Hewitt's dream ends

Novak Djokovic did not lose a game after taking the first set © Getty Images

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Novak Djokovic put on a devastating display to brush aside Marcel Granollers and reach the quarter-finals of the US Open.

The world No. 1 has only won the title at Flushing Meadows once, when he defeated Rafael Nadal in the final in 2011, and he is intent on doubling his success after sealing a 6-3 6-0 6-0 win over Granollers in an hour and 18 minutes.

Djokovic, who lost out to Andy Murray in the Wimbledon final, hit the ball cleanly and was moving freely around the court, and Granollers could not deal with the force and power that was being thrown at him from the other side of the net.

After taking the first set in 35 minutes to the loss of three games, from 3-3 Djokovic recorded a bagel in the second in 23 minutes, before taking the third by the same score line to emphatically seal his place in the last-eight.

The challenge of Lleyton Hewitt is over after the former champion lost an epic five-set encounter to Mikhail Youzhny. Youzhny, twice a semi-finalist at Flushing Meadows, took the opening set 6-3 but then trailed as Hewitt clawed his way back to take the next two sets 6-3 7-6(3).

However, Hewitt's concentration dipped in the fourth, and Youzhny was able to take advantage to force a deciding set when he clinched the fourth 6-4. Hewitt, who put out 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro, then squandered 4-1 and 5-2 leads in the fifth set as Youzhny fought back to win five games in a row and take the decider 7-5. Youzhny is set to face Djokovic in the quarter-finals.

In the last eight Murray, who won in four sets over Denis Istomin, will face Stanislas Wawrinka who beat No. 5 seed Tomas Berdych, the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (6), 6-2.

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