“I played very well”.
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Murray never gave Dimitov a look-in in a win which set up meeting with Kei Nishikori.
The New York crowd got increasingly tetchy as Murray dominated, hoping to see more of a fight from Dimitrov.
Dimitrov committed 43 unforced errors as Murray set up a last-eight clash with Japanese sixth seed Kei Nishikori, the 2014 runner-up who downed 37-year-old Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).
“I played extremely well”, Murray said. “It’s definitely up there, I played well today, made very few unforced errors and made it tough for Grigor”, Murray said, as quoted by BBC. “I got the power from the crowd in every match”. “Tonight is the fastest serve I’ve hit”.
The only time in the past six seasons that Murray failed to get at least this far at a major that he entered came a year ago at the U.S. Open, when he lost to Kevin Anderson in the fourth round.
As for the evening’s fastest serve, which Murray said would be the first time he’s topped 140 miles per hour: “I think that was lucky”. I only did it once. I didn’t expect to be in quarters in my second grand slam after my comeback.
The Bulgarian capitalised on some second serves to earn two break points in the opening game but could do nothing about two big Murray serves.
“I enjoy it in here”. He broke in the first game of the second with a whipped forehand victor, and again in the third to lead 3-0, as a sleepy crowd began to wonder if Dimitrov would ever get on the board.
It all amounts to a fairy-tale return for Del Potro, who last made a major quarter-final three years ago and admits he was close to retiring before a final bout of surgery in 2015.
Evans, meanwhile, had a match point before eventually losing out to Stanislas Wawrinka in the third round, contesting a very fine five-set epic.
Serena, with her win in the third round, had crossed Martina Navratilova and equalled Roger Federer’s mark of all-time victories in Grand Slams at 307.
With the match level at one set all, Murray put his foot on the accelerator to dominant his opponent and despite the occasional flash of brilliance from Lorenzi it was Murray’s shot-making and improved first serve that sealed the win and a place in the last 16 where he will face Grigor Dimitrov.
Wawrinka had things harder for a second successive match, dropping a set to unseeded Illya Marchenko two days after being taken the distance by Britain’s Dan Evans.
If both Kerber and Serena make the championship match, the American will have to win to extend her reign.
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During the changeover right before the last game, it suddenly began to rain, and play was delayed only slightly before the shower passed. It’s going to be hard match. Djokovic leads 15-6 and 5-1 in Slams.
