By at least one measure, Agnieszka Radwanska had been the most consistent player on the women's tour this year: if she advanced to the quarterfinals at the United States Open, she would have been the only woman to do so at all four Grand Slams. Across from her, on Sunday night, was the erratic Russian Ekaterina Makarova.
That was the backdrop, as other matches ended and the night wore on, and those still here turned their attention to the third-seeded Radwanska's struggle and ultimate 6-4, 6-4 loss to Makarova, the No. 24 seed, at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Makarova threw her arms in the air and shrieked when it was over, signaling her unlikely trip to the quarterfinals and the exit of Radwanska, who became the highest-seeded player on the men's or women's side to lose thus far.
Makarova had made the quarterfinals at the last two Australian Opens, upsetting Serena Williams there in 2012. But that was the end of her Grand Slam résumé, until she outlasted Radwanska on Sunday night, hitting 28 winners.
It was especially sweet because the Open is her favorite Grand Slam, she said, in part because "New York as a city is similar with Moscow; it also, like, never sleeps."
Radwanska was playing after the recent death of her grandfather. She had pulled out of a W.T.A. tournament in mid-August and returned to Poland for his funeral.
He was her biggest fan, she said. Then after she lost Sunday, asked if the trip had affected her preparation, she said no.
"I don't want to make any excuses," she said, adding: "It's not that, for sure."
She did mention, however, that she preferred not to play at night.
Earlier in the evening, Novak Djokovic had put on a show at Arthur Ashe, against João Sousa, of Portugal. From the start, Sousa's shirt was soaked with sweat, from sprinting back and forth, trying to keep up with Djokovic's brilliance. When Sousa did catch up, he seemed to throw his whole self and muster all his might into every shot. He grunted and groaned, as Djokovic quietly worked.
Djokovic seemed cool in the night breeze, directing the ball wherever he pleased. Sousa was no Andy Murray, whom Djokovic could face in the semifinals, or Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal, but it only boded well that Djokovic dominated him with such ease.
Djokovic beat Sousa, 6-0, 6-2, 6-2, in precise fashion and waltzed into the fourth round. The match lasted only 1 hour 40 minutes. Djokovic was so at ease with himself that when he arrived, minutes later, at his news conference, he asked to sit down at the stenograph machine and tried typing out a few words.
"Will you print that out for me?" Djokovic asked, taking his seat. He said he had aimed to win in straight sets, as quickly as possible: to do his job, as he put it.
That, he did. He hit 34 winners and broke serve just once. He said he wanted to improve his first-serve efficiency and his play at the net, but that seemed nitpicky.
He had sent Sousa all over the court, spraying shots, as he seemed to stand in one spot. His dominance was, of course, expected. The crowd appeared to cheer louder for Kelsey Grammer, who was shown on the video board as the "Cheers" theme song played, than for most of Djokovic's points, as good as they were.
When Sousa, the 95th-ranked player in the world, won his first game in the second set, some fans stood and cheered his effort. Djokovic won 9 of the next 10 points.
The Open, thus far, had been mostly a breeze for Djokovic. He beat Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania and Benjamin Becker of Germany in straight sets, his only minidrama being that he went to a tiebreaker in the first set against Becker.
In his postmatch news conference, Djokovic blamed the windy conditions, faulty footwork and his own poor job adjusting for his first-set struggles. He was asked again about the wind, and about his sponsorship deal with Uniqlo, the clothing company, and about his gluten-free diet. His struggles were that soon forgotten.
He talked about how his favorite dish was pasta, that he preferred regular pizza to gluten-free pizza. He said he missed chocolate, too, but admitted he does sometimes indulge himself with cacao or dark chocolate, but only a little.
As Djokovic's match started Sunday, his new adviser, Wojtek Fibak, said in an interview on the Tennis Channel that the key to Djokovic's winning the Open was his staying focused, despite all the events he was to attend and all the people around him.
"Less distractions," Fibak said, "because he's very popular."
After he dispatched Sousa, Djokovic indicated he had developed a plan to stay focused. For the last five years, he said, he has stayed with a friend in New Jersey during the Open. He said it was calm and quiet there. He said he still may go into the city for dinner, but he also often stays there and recharges on his days off.
"We've been trying to emphasize the focus, definitely, on every single point," Djokovic said. "I think so far I've done pretty well."
Also on Sunday, on Djokovic's side of the draw, Mikhail Youzhny, the No. 21 seed from Russia, defeated 12th-seeded Tommy Haas, 6-3, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. Youzhny will now face Lleyton Hewitt, who also advanced Sunday, in the fourth round.
Li Na also beat Jelena Jankovic, 6-3, 6-0, to advance to the quarterfinals and set up a matchup with the surprise of the night, Makarova.
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