No svet for Kuznetsova

SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA is taking advantage of her wide-open draw at the US Open.

The fourth-seeded Russian breezed into the quarter-finals of the year’s last major yesterday with a 6-2 6-3 triumph over 18-year-old Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in the first match of the day at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

A surprise champion in 2004, Kuznetsova was the only seeded player to advance past the third round in her quarter of the draw.

The 22-year-old awaits Agnes Szavay in the quarters after the 18-year-old Hungarian squeezed past Ukrainian Julia Vakulenko 6-4 7-6 (7-1).

Azarenka, who hit back sensationally for a 3-6 6-1 6-0 upset of 16th seed and 1997 champion Martina Hingis in the third round, had an awful start to her first match against Kuznetsova, dropping the first five games.

She broke the Russian in the seventh game but immediately lost serve and the set.

The teenager had a much better start to the second set, breaking Kuznetsova and saving five break points in a seven-deuce game for a 2-0 lead.

But Azarenka could not maintain the advantage, allowing Kuznetsova to win the next three games.

Kuznetsova recorded the decisive break with a forehand winner in the eighth game, and she rallied from a 15-40 deficit to close out the match on her fifth match point when Azarenka could not handle a forehand volley.

“(I’m) trying just to take it game by game, match by match, not thinking about ’am I favourite or am I not’,” Kuznetsova said.

“I’m feeling like I’m getting better every match. So this is very important for me.”

The only other top-10 seed left in the bottom half of the draw is Kuznetsova’s countrywoman Anna Chakvetadze, the sixth seed, who will take on 16-year-old Austrian Tamira Paszek in a night match.

Playing in her first US Open, Paszek edged 11th seed Patty Schnyder 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-1) in the third round.

The winner will face 18th-seeded Shahar Peer of Israel, who matched her best grand slam result with a 6-4 6-1 triumph over Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.

The 18-year-old Radwanska had pulled off the shock of the tournament with a 6-4 1-6 6-2 third-round triumph over second seed and defending champion Maria Sharapova.

In the preceding match at Armstrong Stadium, Szavay lost serve four times but broke the 24-year-old Vakulenko five times to continue her run at her first US Open.

Szavay had only contested two other grand slams, losing in the second round at both the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year.

Kuznetsova and Szavay met for the first time in the final at New Haven the week before the US Open.

Szavay held a 6-4 0-3 lead when she retired with a lower back injury.

“She’s tough,” Kuznetsova said. “I played her last weekend. I think it’s worked (out) very good for me to play her.

“First set in New Haven, I’d never played her before, so I didn’t know what to expect.

“I think now I know her game and I can prepare (for) her better.”

Meanwhile in the Mens section Andy Roddick enjoyed an easy passage into the US Open quarter-finals, and a possible showdown with Roger Federer, after his opponent Tomas Berdych retired ill during their fourth-round match.

Fifth seed Roddick saved a set point to win the first set tie-break.

Ninth seed Berdych had been treated by the trainer early on in the match but began to look weak and feverish as the first set progressed.

And when he went 2-0 down in the second set, the Czech decided to call it a day, giving the American victory.

It is the second time in the tournament that Roddick has profited from an opponent's withdrawal.

Argentina's Jose Acususo retired during their second-round match.

‘‘You don't want to advance because someone else isn't feeling well,’’ said Roddick, who hit 10 aces against Berdych.

‘‘I could tell he was hurting. It's unfortunate but I'm in the quarters and I hope I can go a little further.’’

Roddick is now set for another showdown with his nemesis Roger Federer, who plays Feliciano Lopez in Monday's night session. Federer leads Roddick 13-1 in career meetings.