New York: Roger Federer moved closer to a sixth successive US Open crown after stifling Spanish 14th seed Tommy Robredo 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals on Monday.
The Swiss world No. 1 took a while to warm up as clouds gathered over Arthur Ashe Stadium but once he had the first set in the bag, Federer wasted little time putting Robredo into the shade and secured his ninth straight win over the Spaniard.
Federer, winner of a record 15 Grand Slam titles, sealed victory with his ninth ace in one hour 48 minutes.
Federer next plays Sweden's Robin Soderling, whom the Swiss beat en route to the French Open and Wimbledon titles this year.
Earlier, Roland Garros runner-up Soderling became the first man to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open on Monday when his eighth-seeded opponent Nikolay Davydenko retired with a leg injury.
Russian Davydenko hobbled around court with his left leg heavily strapped but after losing the third set, he shook his head and informed the umpire he could not continue.
The retirement would also have been a relief for Soderling, who had suffered a dizzy spell during the 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win.
The Swedish 12th seed's victory also set the stage for a possible rematch with Roger Federer, the only man to have beaten Soderling in the last two Grand Slam events.
French Open and Wimbledon champion Federer faces Spaniard Tommy Robredo later on Monday.
Bondarenko avenges sister by thrashing Dulko
Kateryna Bondarenko reached her first Grand Slam singles quarter-final on Monday, annihilating Argentina's Gisela Dulko 6-0, 6-0 in the fourth round of the US Open.
Late arrivals on Arthur Ashe would have missed the Ukrainian's 47-minute breeze against an error-strewn opponent who knocked out her seeded older sister Alona in round two.
"I just got some messages to do the revenge for my sister, so I start to think about it when I read the messages," Bondarenko told reporters.
"I'm surprised that it's 6-0, 6-0, and I'm really happy that it went that way."
With no seeds left in the top quarter of the draw, Bondarenko has a golden chance to reach the semi-finals of what has been an unpredictable tournament.
She faces a last eight test against Petra Kvitova, conqueror of top seed Dinara Safina, or Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium.
Oudin continues cull of Russian seeds
American teenager Melanie Oudin's spectacular run at the US Open gathered momentum when she beat Russian 13th seed Nadia Petrova 1-6, 7-6, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals on Monday.
The 17-year-old has captured the imagination of the public by rolling over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, fourth seed Elena Dementieva and 2006 champion Maria Sharapova.
On day eight of the hardcourt major, Oudin again whipped up the packed Arthur Ashe Stadium into a frenzy when she fought back from a set down to toss Petrova on to the Flushing Meadows scrapheap.
Backed by 23,000 screaming fans, Oudin sealed victory by belting a forehand winner on her third match point.
She will next face either a fifth successive Russian, French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, or Danish ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki for a place in the semis.
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