US Open: Serena Williams beats Maria Sakkari to make US Open quarter-finals

Serena Williams remains on course for a seventh US Open title with a win over Maria Sakkari - her 100th win on Arthur Ashe court

American comes though 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 to reach last eight and is three wins from matching Margaret Court's total

Serena Williams remains on course for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title after coming through an epic fourth-round contest to beat Maria Sakkari.

Williams, won won her first US Open more than 20 years ago, stormed to the first set in a little over half an hour but her opponent dug deep and, perhaps inspired by her victory in the pair's last meeting two weeks ago, Sakkari edged a thrilling second set tie-break to force the decider.

It was the Greek 15th seed who struck the first blow, breaking in the third set only for Williams to break back and go on to break again in the eighth game to serve out the match.

Williams turns 39 in less than a month and is without a Grand Slam singles title since the Australian Open in 2017, but she is the favourite to claim the crown having advanced to a showdown with Tsvetana Pironkova.

"Of course I thought about it but it's a completely different match and a completely different moment," Williams said in her post-match interview on court when asked about the defeat to Sakkari. ผลบอล7M

"I just kept fighting. She was doing so well, she was being so aggressive, and I knew I needed to do the same thing."

At the Western & Southern Open, Sakkari got the better of a tiring Williams, who was dealing with leg cramps and faded down the stretch, but not this time as the six-time singles champion at Flushing Meadow rose to the challenge.

She had been two points from victory at 6-6 in the second set tie-break before Sakkari hit back, but Williams had the final say and remains on course to go one better than 2018 and 2019 US Opens when she was beaten in the final on both occasions.