“I think it’s the best match she ever played against me,” Venus said. “I don’t think I did a lot wrong. But she just did everything right. Obviously that level is definitely where she’s going to want to stay during this whole tournament.”

It is the first time in the Open Era that the two top seeds have gone out before the quarterfinals at the US Open, and Wozniacki was the third Slam champion this week to lose on the new Louis Armstrong Stadium Court which is quickly becoming known as the “graveyard court.”

For the first time in US Open history an Extreme Heat Policy was implemented for men’s matches in addition to the women as temperatures neared 100 degrees at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

It was Kanepi’s second career win over a world No. 1, while it was Halep’s 12th first-round loss at a Slam.

“I didn’t have some [career] plan,” said Sabalenka. “I was just, like, ‘Keep going, keep fighting.’ Now I am 20 years old and I have my first title, so…it’s okay.

The 6-foot-6 Medvedev improved to 4-1 against Johnson. It was his second title after in January winning Sydney as a qualifier.

“If anything, I have more fire in my belly,” Serena said. “It’s very hard to describe. It’s very difficult to describe. I thought after having a child I would be more relaxed. I think I’ve said this before, but I’m not. I work just as hard if not harder actually. I just feel like I take it just as serious if not more. That’s been really surprising for me.”

“It was [a] very physical match, that’s why the end I couldn’t make it anymore,” said Halep. “But she played really well, and she really deserves to win this title, because her level was very high.”

“Obviously it’s a very special moment to stand here for the first time with the winning trophy here in Cincinnati,” said Djokovic, who will rise to No. 6 on the ATP rankings. “The hard times I went through, it’s been a rollercoaster ride in my career with injury, taking time off and having a surgery earlier this year. This seems a bit unreal to be back at this level.”

“It was a tough day,” said Halep, who trailed Tsurenka 1-4, 0-40 before winning the next five games. “I’m really tired. But I’m happy that I could win both of them.

“I don’t know how [I saved match point] because she did a really great serve and I just played the [return], I don’t know, like a baby.”

“I think it was a good match today,” Serena said afterwards. “We both played at a really high level. Only one person could win…I’m still at the very beginning. You know, this is a long comeback. I just began. I just started. Definitely at the very, very beginning. I’m getting there, and I’m going to just continue to work hard, and hopefully I’ll start winning more matches.”

“It’s never easy, no matter what the scoreline says,” said Williams afterwards. “I definitely felt relaxed after the first break, but it’s just the very beginning of the match — you’ve got to keep going.”

“This week, it’s been an amazing effort,” said Halep after claiming her third title of the year. “It’s brutal, the effort for me. This week it was really tough.”

Tough starts for (4) Kerber vs. Pavlyuchenkova who she is 6-6 career against, the wrist-addled (13) Keys vs. (WC) Mattek-Sands in an all-American, (9) Pliskova vs. Radwanska (winner to meet Konta), (6) Garcia vs. (WC) Azarenka, (8) Kvitova vs. the Serena-Gavrilova winner, (15) Mertens vs. Rybarikova who she has a losing record against, (5) Svitolina vs. (WC) Kuznetsova, and (2) Wozniacki vs. the Bertens-Vandeweghe winner…