Williams battles into US Open last 16 while Nadal crashes out from two sets up

Serena Williams battled from a set down to book her place in the women's singles last 16 ©AFP/Getty Images

World number one Serena Williams survived a scare in the third round of the women’s singles at the US Open as she fought back from a set down to progress, but Rafael Nadal saw a two set lead slip as he was knocked out of the men’s competition at Flushing Meadows.

Williams is bidding to become the first player to earn the calendar Grand Slam since Germany’s Steffi Graf in 1988 but the 33-year-old’s challenge appeared to be faltering against fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

An attacking strategy helped Mattek-Sands claim the first set 6-3 but Williams typically clawed her way back into the match and despite being broken when serving for the set, several strong returns saw her level the match.

Having taken the second set 7-5 the momentum was now firmly with Williams and she began producing some of her best tennis on route to taking the deciding set 6-0.

A potential quarter-final against her sister Venus still remains a possibility after the 35-year-old secured a straight sets 6-3, 6-4 victory over Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic.

Two of the rising stars of the women’s game also reached the last 16 of the tournament as America’s Madison Keys defeated Agnieszka Radwańska 6-3, 6-2, while Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard came through a gruelling three set encounter with Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulková 7-6, 4-6, 6-3.

Fans were also treated to another lengthy clash in the Arthur Ashe Stadium as Rafael Nadal looked to avoid another early exit from a Grand Slam this year when facing the Italian Fabio Fognini.

Rafael Nadal suffered another early exit from a Grand Slam ©AFP/Getty Images

The contest looked likely to be a short-lived affair as Nadal claimed the opening two sets and was a break up in the third, but Fognini began to fight his way back into the match with a series of powerful forehands to take the set 6-4 against the two-time US Open champion.

The crowd sensed the match was beginning to turn in the Italian’s favour and they would be treated to a decider as Fognini won the fourth set 6-3, to stand on the brink of becoming the first player to come from two sets down to beat Nadal in a Grand Slam match.

Fognini was able to achieve the feat as he broke for a 5-4 lead in the decider before holding his serve to wrap up a stylish 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, comeback victory.

While Nadal departed the tournament, defending champion Marin Cilic battled through a tight affair with Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-1 to keep his hopes of retaining the title alive.

Meanwhile world number one Novak Djokovic sealed a straightforward 6-3 7-5 7-5 win over Italy’s Andreas Seppi, while France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also booked his place in the last 16 with a 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 victory over Ukraine’s Sergiy Stakhovsky.