• Djokovic reaches 26th straight Slam quarterfinal • Cilic extends US Open win streak to 11 matches NEW YORK — The Williams Family show took center stage at the US Open with Serena and Venus both cruising to straight set wins Sunday to set up a monster quarterfinal between the tennis siblings. Whenever the Williams sisters clash on court it is a major tennis event but with older sister Venus, a twice US Open winner, standing in the way of defending champion Serena's quest for a rare calendar-year Grand Slam their meeting Tuesday has been elevated to a must-see sporting viewing. While the National Tennis Center was abuzz over another Williams Grand Slam showdown, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic was hard at work taming Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to reach his 26th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal. Only Roger Federer (36) and Jimmy Connors (27) have registered more consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances than Djokovic since the Slams began including professionals in 1968. With Serena bidding to become just the fourth woman to win all four grand slams in the same year, the US Open hype machine that already had been in top gear is now set to crank into overdrive. The Williams sisters have met 26 times over their careers with Serena coming out on top 15-11 but meeting No. 27 will have more than the usual family bragging rights riding on the outcome. “Obviously getting to a Grand Slam semifinal is the next step toward the final. Pretty clear what's up for grabs here,” said Venus. “I think people love to see history being made.” The 35-year-old Venus, seeded 23rd, overpowered 19-year-old qualifier Estonian Anett Kontaveit 6-2, 6-1 in a ruthless fourth-round display that took just 50 minutes. Serena followed her sister onto Arthur Ashe Stadium court and was no less efficient, routing fellow American Madison Keys 6-3, 6-3 in 68 minutes. “She's playing great,” 33-year-old Serena said about seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus, who is two years her elder. “I have to really be ready for that.” Defending champion Marin Cilic kicked off center court action on another sunny day at Flushing Meadows and was the first man through to the last eight, taking down determined Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-1 to extend his US Open win streak to 11 matches. Coming off a punishing five-setter with Mikhail Kukushkin in a third-round match that lasted four hours, Cilic took a while to find his power game but was unstoppable once he did, the ninth seeded Croat blasting 23 aces past 27th seed Chardy, who had no answer. Four Frenchmen made the round of 16, a US Open record, and at least one advanced to the quarterfinals, with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beating countryman Benoit Paire 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. Fabio Fognini, who toppled Rafa Nadal in an epic five-setter that ended early Saturday morning, had nothing left in his tank for his fourth-round clash with Feliciano Lopez, the 18th seeded Spaniard easing to a 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-1 win. — Reuters
