NEW YORK - World No.1 Roger Federer had a walkover while third seed Andy Murray breezed past Canada's Milos Raonic as both reached the quarter-finals of the US Open yesterday.
Federer advanced to his 34th consecutive grand slam quarter-final without touching a racquet when American Mardy Fish withdrew from their US Open match for health reasons.
The 31-year-old Swiss star, seeking his 18th grand slam title and sixth US Open crown, moved through to a last-eight match-up against Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych, who dispatched Spanish 11th seed Nicolas Almagro 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 6-1.
The walkover stretched Federer's record for quarter-final grand slam appearances in the Open era to 38, three shy of the record 41 achieved by American Jimmy Connors.
Federer, who won his 17th grand slam title in July at Wimbledon, has not dropped a set in the Flushing Meadows fortnight.
Fish missed two months of the season earlier this year because of a heart problem, being hospitalised after the Miami Masters event in March when his heart rate increased to three times its normal resting pace.