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Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams Escape U.S. Open Heat as Quickly as Possible

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during the second set of her fourth-round match Monday; she rallied to beat Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia at Arthur Ashe Stadium.Credit...Ben Solomon for The New York Times

Serena Williams’s name had just been announced as the winner at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday afternoon when Novak Djokovic, the No. 1 seed in the men’s draw, seemed to wake to the realization that he was battling more than just the veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Djokovic was making his first appearance in two years inside Louis Armstrong Stadium, a flatter, more intimate setting that, on this withering afternoon, sizzled like a baking tray. The place was packed with fans, but Armstrong could hardly offer the same sheltered, cocooned atmosphere as the court below the multitiered stands at Ashe.

So there it sat, splayed like a piece of meat under a broiling heat. Temperatures rose into the upper 80s, and Djokovic, wearing a hat, and then not wearing a hat, came to understand this was not going to be a breezy fourth-round tuneup.

“I know that I definitely wanted to stay not too long out there,” Djokovic said.

The heat certainly impacted No. 7 Eugenie Bouchard, who played after Djokovic at Armstrong and required medical attention after falling behind, 3-2, in the second set. Trainers rushed to apply cold towels to her neck and rubbed ice packs along her thighs in an effort to lower her body temperature. At one point, Bouchard appeared too weak to snap open a sports drink.

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No. 7 seed Eugenie Bouchard was treated with cold towels and ice packs on a steamy day at the U.S. Open. After a six-minute delay, she returned to the court but lost to Ekaterina Makarova.Credit...Jason Szenes/European Pressphoto Agency

After about a six-minute delay, Bouchard returned to the court, and for a moment she looked as if she might use the rest to her advantage. She broke Ekaterina Makarova’s serve to even the set at 4-4, but there was no comeback in the making. Makarova, the No. 17 seed, finished strong to advance to the Open quarterfinals for the second year in a row with a 7-6 (2), 6-4 victory.

Bouchard said her vision had gone blurry, resulting not only from the heat but also several long and late matches she played during the first week.

“I don’t think I fully recovered from those,” Bouchard said.

The loss brought Bouchard’s breakthrough season at Grand Slam tournaments to an end. She reached the semifinals at the Australian and French Opens and was a finalist at Wimbledon.

With Bouchard’s exit, the top-seeded Williams and No. 10 Caroline Wozniacki were the only women among the top 10 seeds to make it to the quarterfinals.

In the final match of the day session, there was a heated exchange across the net between Stan Wawrinka, the No. 3 seed, and Tommy Robredo. The dispute arose in the fourth set when Robredo admonished Wawrinka, who was about to serve, for what he presumed was an etiquette violation. Wawrinka did not appreciate the comments, and a terse discussion followed.

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Novak Djokovic, the top men’s seed, returning a shot during a 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 victory over against Philipp Kohlschreiber.Credit...Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

Wawrinka, the Australian Open winner, dominated the final set to secure a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 victory and advance to his third grand slam quarterfinal of the year.

After the match, the players had a cool, quick handshake at the net and went their separate ways. Wawrinka will meet No. 10 Kei Nishikori, who beat No. 5 Milos Raonic, 4-6, 7-6, 6-7, 7-5, 6-4, in a match that lasted 4 hours 19 minutes and ended at 2:26 a.m.

“I think he did something not nicely,” Robredo said, without elaborating, “and I just told him if he had a problem today. But that’s it.” Wawrinka said it was just something that happens in the heat of an intense match.

Djokovic found himself in a second-set scare against Kohlschreiber, the 30-year-old German, who suddenly had set point facing Djokovic’s serve with a 5-4 lead.

A 15-shot rally ended with a Djokovic passing-shot winner, bringing the game to deuce, and he raised his arms and screamed. Two points later, after a 20-shot rally, Kohlschreiber’s backhand sailed long, and Djokovic, 27, had escaped, pumping his fist in joy.

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Serena Williams advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Kaia Kanepi.Credit...Barton Silverman/The New York Times

He closed out a 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 victory to advance to the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open for the eighth consecutive year.

Entering the tournament, Djokovic, 27, had won only two matches on hardcourts since his victory at Wimbledon. But he has been quietly dominant at the Open, flexing his muscles in the absence of Rafael Nadal and looking more and more like the overwhelming favorite to capture his second title.

Djokovic’s second-set struggles represented the first time an opponent had won more than four games against him in a set in the tournament. For the fourth consecutive year, he slid through the first three rounds by surrendering less than 20 games.

“You know, as we come closer and closer to the finish line, the matches will get tougher,” he said. “That’s where I will see where my game is and if I’m mentally strong enough to hold on.”

In the quarterfinals, Djokovic will face a familiar counterpart: No. 8 seed Andy Murray, who beat No. 9 Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, 7-5, 7-5, 6-4, to advance to his fourth Grand Slam quarterfinals this year. It was Murray’s first victory over a top-10 opponent since he won Wimbledon last year.

“Playing on Wednesday night against the No. 1 player in the world is exciting,” Murray said of facing Djokovic for the 21st time in their careers.

Williams had little trouble getting past Kaia Kanepi of Estonia, 6-3, 6-3. Williams had lost only 11 games through her first three matches, the fewest of any woman to reach the fourth round.

She will play No. 11 seed Flavia Pennetta, who defeated No. 29 Casey Dellacqua, 7-5, 6-2. Pennetta, 32, was a semifinalist at the Open last year, her best career result in a major.

As the sun set behind Arthur Ashe Stadium, temperatures on the grounds cooled slightly, but the young Aleksandra Krunic applied plenty of heat to Victoria Azarenka, the No. 16 seed and a finalist here the last two years.

Krunic, a 21-year-old qualifier from Serbia, delighted fans with her bold play, athletic runs and emphatic fist pumps and put a fright into Azarenka to the end. Krunic won the first set and remained a threat, but Azarenka’s experience and talent ultimately dictated the terms, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

David Waldstein contributed reporting.

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section B, Page 11 of the New York edition with the headline: Djokovic and Williams Escape Heat on a Day With Plenty of Sizzle. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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