NEW YORK, Sept 1: Former champions Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal battled into the US Open last 32 while the women�s draw lost the fifth seed from its top eight.
Federer recorded his 80th career win in New York but he needed five sets for the second successive match before claiming a 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Mikhail Youzhny.
It was his 17th win in 17 meetings with the grizzled Russian, who, at 35, is his junior by just one year.
World number one Nadal, meanwhile, saw off Japan�s World No. 121 Taro Daniel 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 after being blown off court in the first set.
Federer, 36, and the five-time champion at the US Open, next faces another 35-year-old, Feliciano Lopez of Spain, for a place in the last 16. His record against Lopez is just as solid � 12-0.
Top seed Nadal, the 2010 and 2013 champion, was rocked by New York-born Daniel in the first set.
But Daniel, who has never beaten a top-10 player, paid the price for his all-out assault as Nadal prevailed to book a third round date with Argentine lucky loser Leonardo Mayer.
Russian eighth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 champion, saw her outside chances of taking the world number one ranking end when she lost to Japan�s Kurumi Nara 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
Kuznetsova is the fifth of the top eight seeds to lose before the third round after Simona Halep, Caroline Wozniacki, defending champion Angelique Kerber and Johanna Konta also exited. � AFP
