US Open 2018: Cilic beats Goffin, Djokovic and Keys safely through – as it happened

Fine wins for Madison Keys, Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic on day eight at Flushing Meadows.

11.55pm BST

And as Marin Cilic makes the quarters once more, this blog comes to a natural end. But that’s not all from day eight at Flushing Meadows: we’ll have coverage of the matches involving Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer later on. So stay up with us for those. Hope you enjoyed the coverage! Nighty night.

Related: Novak Djokovic defies heat to beat Sousa and reach US Open quarter-finals

11.50pm BST

Marin Cilic beats David Goffin 7-6, 6-2, 6-4. Cilic falls 0-30 down. He takes some time to regroup. “What are you waiting for?” snaps the umpire, before giving him a time violation. Is it worth the hassle? It would appear so! He booms an ace, then sends a second serve wide right and dispatches the return into an empty court. Another big serve and volley, and he’s got match point. But he pulls wide after a long rally and it’s deuce. Goffin shanks one during another rally, and it’s a second match point. Then a double fault! The third deuce sees Cilic snatch at a volley, sending it wide left. Break point! A big serve, straight at Goffin, and the return is netted. Deuce #4! He sends another booming serve kicking out to the left; Goffin can’t return. A third match point ... and this time a glorious cross-court forehand gets the job done!

11.42pm BST

Cilic 7-6, 6-2, 5-4 Goffin*. Cilic will have to serve it out. Goffin was serving for the first set but couldn’t get the job done. Payback time? He’ll need it to be, or his dreams of a first quarter-final at Flushing Meadows will be gone for another year.

11.38pm BST

Cilic* 7-6, 6-2, 5-3 Goffin. A beautiful pick-up and passing shot, a booming serve through deuce court, and another hold to love.

11.33pm BST

Cilic 7-6, 6-2, 4-3 Goffin*. And now it’s an easy enough hold for Goffin. But there’s the slight sense Cilic is holding himself back, saving all his energy to make sure he gets the job done on his remaining two service games.

11.30pm BST

Cilic* 7-6, 6-2, 4-2 Goffin. Another easy hold for Cilic. Goffin drags his feet and stares at the floor, with the air of a man who knows the sands of time are running out.

11.27pm BST

Cilic 7-6, 6-2, 3-2 Goffin*. Cilic is gifted the break. Goffin sprays a forehand wide, nets an easy volley to gift his opponent two break points, and sends one long. Cilic just had to stay in the rallies. All of a sudden, the finishing line is in sight for the Croat if he can just keep hold of his serve. On previous evidence in this match, that’s easier said than done.

11.22pm BST

Cilic* 7-6, 6-2, 2-2 Goffin. Cilic holds to love. We’re nearing the two-hour mark. New balls, please!

11.20pm BST

Cilic 7-6, 6-2, 1-2 Goffin*. Goffin holds without fuss. There’s been something of a lull since the lads got new clothes not soaked in sweat.

11.18pm BST

Cilic* 7-6, 6-2, 1-1 Goffin. Ticking along with serve right now. Very strange.

11.12pm BST

Cilic 7-6, 6-2, 0-1 Goffin*. Goffin, his back against the wall, comes out firing. A service game to love.

11.07pm BST

Cilic 7-6, 6-2 Goffin. Meanwhile the second set on Armstrong comes to a typically absurd end. Cilic broke Goffin again. Then Goffin earned two break points as Cilic served for the set. But he couldn’t convert them, and Cilic’s power won the day. The 2014 champ hasn’t been on his game at all, but he’s performed in all the big points; Goffin has been very poor in the clutch situations.

11.05pm BST

One last hurrah for the Czech teenager as she holds her final service game. But then the 29-year-old Ukrainian serves it out. She looked in distress in the first set, cramping and struggling to breathe. But she came back in style, seeing off her precocious opponent. Poor Vondrousova was carrying an injury in that final set, but otherwise played marvellously: she went down swinging in that last game, forcing a couple of break points she couldn’t convert. She’ll put this in the experience bank. Tsurenko meanwhile advances to the quarter-final of a slam for the first time; she’ll face Naomi Osaka.

10.58pm BST

Cilic* 7-6, 4-2 Goffin. Cilic has a chance to go two breaks up, but Goffin survives to hold serve. Then the Belgian has two break points on Cilic’s serve, but the Croat rescues himself with a couple of big serves, one that kicks wide right, another that bullets down the middle. Cilic isn’t playing well - this performance is erratic as hell - but he’s doing more than enough right now.

10.54pm BST

Vondrousova 7-6, 5-7, 1-5 Tsurenko*. A couple of break points for the Czech teenager. But neither are converted, and the writing is on the wall now.

10.48pm BST

Vondrousova* 7-6, 5-7, 1-4 Tsurenko. That last game took a lot out of Vondrousova, and she gives up a couple of break points without much resistance. Then she whips a forehand wide, and despite that recent burst of defiance, the jig looks up.

10.46pm BST

Vondrousova 7-6, 5-7, 1-3 Tsurenko*. Maybe Vondrousova isn’t finished yet! Despite continually holding that wrapped-up thigh, she wins two long rallies and snatches one of the breaks back! But she is clearly struggling with injury. Tsurenko’s earlier travails were heat-related, as she momentarily struggled to breathe in the humidity, panic setting in. She’s over that now; muscular bother is another thing entirely.

10.41pm BST

Cilic* 7-6, 3-1 Goffin. Someone finally holds their serve on Armstrong. Well done, Marin Cilic! And he establishes a strong foothold in this game now. Goffin is in serious trouble.

10.40pm BST

Vondrousova* 7-6, 5-7, 0-3 Tsurenko. Tsurenko turns the screw, moving the stricken Vondrousova this way and that, making her move, move, move on that sore leg. She wins her service game to love, then goes a double-break up by taking Vondrousova’s next service game, that one to love as well. Vondrousova has won just one point in this deciding set so far.

10.36pm BST

Cilic 7-6, 2-1 Goffin*. The third game of the second set. And for the third game, the server loses the opening point and is unable to regain sufficient momentum to hold serve.

10.35pm BST

Vondrousova* 7-6, 5-7, 0-1 Tsurenko. Vondrousova comes back out with strapping on her right thigh. She’s not moving well, and she makes her 55th and 56th unforced error of the match, giving up the break immediately. It seems a long time ago now that Tsurenko was looking unable to continue.

10.31pm BST

Cilic* 7-6, 1-1 Goffin. Has Goffin’s noggin gone? He was serving for that first set, failed to see it out, then collapsed at the end of the tie-break after hauling himself back into the thing. And he’s broken in the opening game of the second set. BUT! Cilic’s none too stable himself, and he gives up his own service game to love in frankly abysmal fashion, a series of unforced errors presenting it on a platter to a reeling opponent.

10.27pm BST

Vondrousova 7-6, 5-7 Tsurenko*. Now it’s Vondrousova’s turn to suffer physically: she grabs her thigh, grimaces and yelps in pain. Then some mental anguish as the Czech teenager loses a long rally and the set goes to the formidable Ukrainian. And finally some more physical bother as she calls for the doctor. She looks in some distress and will take a medical off-court time-out.

10.23pm BST

Vondrousova* 7-6, 5-6 Tsurenko. The match on Grandstand continues to develop in a most unpredictable manner. Vondrousova nets a volley and it’s a third break in three games. Tsurenko - who looked unable to continue midway through the first set as she cramped in the heat - will again serve for the second set!

10.21pm BST

Cilic 7-6 Goffin. Cilic always appeared in control of the tie-break, but made three unforced errors in four points and suddenly it was all square at 6-6. But it all goes south for Goffin in double-quick time: Cilic booms down a serve, then Goffin shanks horribly mid-rally to gift the set to the big Croat!

10.18pm BST

Vondrousova 7-6, 5-5 Tsurenko*. The young Czech bounces straight back with a break to save the set! This is an astonishing rollercoaster second set.

10.15pm BST

Vondrousova* 7-6, 4-5 Tsurenko. Tsurenko suddenly discovers the form that did for Caroline Wozniacki in the second round. After holding her serve under severe scoreboard pressure, she earns a couple of break points on Vondrousova’s service game. The second one’s converted, as Vondrousova slams into the net. Tsurenko is serving to send the game into a third and deciding set!

10.11pm BST

Some news of the 2012 champion Andy Murray, from our man Kevin Mitchell.

Related: Andy Murray will miss Davis Cup to concentrate on return to full fitness

10.08pm BST

Cilic 6-6 Goffin*. Cilic booms his way to holding serve. Then Goffin threatens to wobble, losing the first point of his service game as he looks to take the first set to a tie-break. But a couple of big serves see him through. This set is going all the way!

10.06pm BST

Vondrousova* 7-6, 4-3 Tsurenko. After those early breaks in the second set, they’re very much back on serve now on Grandstand. A lot of long baseline rallies. Tsurekno looks to have recovered from her injury wobble. But she doesn’t have much room for error now.

10.00pm BST

Cilic 5-5 Goffin*. Cilic takes Goffin to 30-30 and then assumes control. At the net, he steers a lovely volley down the right sideline, wrong-footing his opponent. And then he secures the break, saving the set at the very last opportunity.

9.57pm BST

Cilic* 4-5 Goffin. It continues to go with serve on Armstrong. Cilic’s very first service game the only difference in this match so far. Goffin will serve for the set.

9.53pm BST

Vondrousova* 7-6, 2-1 Tsurenko. Tsurenko is cramping in the heat. She’s struggling, having called for a medical time-out. The doctor’s given her the once-over. Will she quit? But she’s a fighter, and despite being given the runaround by Vondrousova, keeps on keepin’ on and breaks straight back! Not much of an atmosphere on Grandstand, despite all the drama.

9.48pm BST

Vondrousova 7-6, 2-0 Tsurenko*. Vondrousova looks to be in the mood to see off her 29-year-old Ukrainian opponent in short order. She’s quickly gone a break up in the second set on Tsurenko.

9.45pm BST

Meanwhile on Louis Armstrong, Marin Cilic lost his opening service game against David Goffin. As a result the 2014 champ is currently 4-2 down in the first set. Goffin’s never reached the quarters at Flushing Meadows; could the 27-year-old from Belgium be onto something here?

9.41pm BST

And we’re back. Just be thankful I didn’t put up Pages from Ceefax and nip off for four hours, like BBC1 used to do back in the day. Anyway, first things first: let’s catch up on Marketa Vondrousova and Lesia Tsurenko. Vondrousova, who saw off 2014’s Eugenie Bouchard in the second round, has just won the first set on a tie-break (7-3). Whatever happens today, the 2018 US Open will be her best showing at a slam; she is only 19, mind, so I’ll leave you to decide how important that stat is.

9.23pm BST

Intermission: The 2014 champ Marin Cilic takes on David Goffin soon. And we’ll have updates on the tie between Marketa Vondrousova and Lesia Tsurenko. Much later, our US desk will bring you news of Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer. All of that coming up. In the meantime, internet kids, in the days before Amazon Prime there was a thing called the BBC. And they used to transmit things like this ...

9.15pm BST

Djokovic serves it out. The favourite makes it through to the quarters without much fuss. An easy win wrapped up in two hours on the dot. The next round won’t be such a cinch: he’ll face the winner of John Millman and Roger Federer!

9.12pm BST

Djokovic 6-3, 6-4, 5-3 Sousa*. Sousa continues to fume about the umpire’s decision to ignore his challenge in that previous game. During the changeover, he engaged the official in a full and frank exchange of views. Looking at the replay, the official had a point: Djokovic had hit the line, Sousa had returned, and only when Djokovic whipped into an empty court did Sousa wave his racket in an understated style. Anyway, he’s lost focus as a result: Djokovic moves him around the court and earns three break points. He only requires one. That was stunning tennis by Djokovic, who went up through the gears having seen his opponent lose his rag.

9.08pm BST

Djokovic* 6-3, 6-4, 4-3 Sousa. A brouhaha midway through the game, as Sousa asks to make a challenge, but doesn’t get his wish because his gesture was ambiguous and late. Other than that, it’s a nondescript affair. We’re still on serve in the third set. But Djokovic is now just two games away from the quarter-finals.

9.04pm BST

Anyway, after the Lord Mayor’s show ... it’s Djokovic and Sousa on Ashe. It’s been going with serve: it’s 3-3 in the third set. But that Osaka-Sabalenka match was sensational! There’s two young women with huge futures in the game.

9.00pm BST

Naomi Osaka beats Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 6-4! Sabalenka serves big. But Osaka returns ruthlessly. She engages Sabalenka in a couple of rallies, and Sabalenka cracks twice. Wild shots see her 0-30 down. And then a dreadful double fault - the first serve miles long and wide left, the second a slap into the net - gives Osaka three match points. She throws her arms in the air in despair. Then saves the first match point on second serve. And then saves the second, serving deep and fast, forcing Osaka to flap into the net. And then she saves a third!!! Another deep serve flummoxes Osaka, and now it’s the Japanese player’s turn to look anguished. Deuce! Sabalenka then wins a rally to earn advantage ... before netting to take it to a second deuce. Osaka then rocks Sabalenka backwards on the baseline: it’s a fourth match point! And a double fault gifts it to Osaka. She wins a mini-classic! A sad way for it to end - and Sabalenka flings her racket away in disappointment and anger - but she congratulates Osaka warmly. Osaka reaches the quarters of a slam for the first time. Wow. That was some match!

8.52pm BST

Sabalenka 3-6, 6-2, 4-5 Osaka*. Good luck calling a winner of this one, because Osaka looks a real player as well. Sabalenka refuses to buckle on her serve; now Osaka knocks off a stress-free service game to love.

8.50pm BST

Sabalenka* 3-6, 6-2, 4-4 Osaka. Armstrong’s where the action is. Osaka puts Sabalenka on the back foot from the off, sending her skittering left and right before cracking a cross-court forehand winner into the space she’s created. But Sabalenka again recovers gloriously, grinding out four points in nerveless fashion. She looks a real player. That’s another magnificent hold. Will Osaka regret passing up these chances to break?

8.47pm BST

Djokovic 6-3, 6-4, 1-1 Sousa*. It’s going to serve in the early stages of the third set on Ashe.

8.46pm BST

Sabalenka 3-6, 6-2, 3-4 Osaka*. A relatively unfussy hold of serve. The pressure’s back on Sabalenka again.

8.44pm BST

Here’s the latest dispatch from our man at Flushing Meadows, Kevin Mitchell. It’s his report of Madison Keys’s victory over Dominika Cibulkova, plus some good news for Jamie Murray in the doubles.

Related: Madison Keys reaches US Open quarter-finals with Cibulkova victory

8.42pm BST

Sabalenka* 3-6, 6-2, 3-3 Osaka. Sabalenka’s service mechanism goes haywire. Another double fault, plus an unforced error when attempting to dispatch a simple winner down the left-hand side of an open court, and she’s three break points down. This is critical. So now it’s her turn to regroup. She relocates her groove, and saves all three break points! This is outrageous! She eases to the line from deuce and hollers in a mixture of relief and ecstasy! What an escape! She was really on the brink there.

8.38pm BST

Sabalenka 3-6, 6-2, 2-3 Osaka*. Osaka sure does have the moxie! She breaks straight back, sealing the game point with a vicious forehand that forces Sabalenka into sending one long. Then she holds on to her serve to apply a little pressure on her opponent!

8.33pm BST

Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 Sousa*. A huge point at 30-30 as Sousa sends one long. Then the Portuguese slices one wide right. The scoreboard pressure proved too much. Djokovic saunters off court to get into some fresh kit.

8.30pm BST

Djokovic* 6-3, 5-4 Sousa. Meanwhile back on Ashe, it continues to go with serve. Which now means Sousa has to hold his to avoid going two sets down.

8.28pm BST

Sabalenka 3-6, 6-2, 2-1 Osaka*. Sabalenka whips a stunning shot down the right sideline. It seems to momentarily stun Osaka, who gives up an easy point. Suddenly she’s in a little trouble. She’s being outgunned by Sabalenka now. Sabalenka sends her rocking on her heels on the baseline; Osaka cries with horror as she can only waft a return into the net. And she’s broken. Certainly on the scoreboard ... but in spirit as well? Sabalenka looks the likely winner right now. Does Osaka have the energy and moxie to dig deep?

8.24pm BST

Sabalenka* 3-6, 6-2, 1-1 Osaka. A double fault is the only bump in the road for Sabalenka in this game.

8.22pm BST

Sabalenka 3-6, 6-2, 0-1 Osaka*. Osaka doesn’t exactly look full of beans as she starts the set. The first point’s lost on serve. She’ll be hoping the benefits of that break will kick in soon. And slowly but surely they do. She scrapes a couple of points, and soon enough she secures the game with a howitzer of a serve. That’ll give her some much needed succour. Winning a game is better than any energy gel.

8.18pm BST

Djokovic* 6-3, 4-3 Sousa. A magnificent 24-shot rally comes to an end when Sousa surprises Djokovic with a delicate slice across the net. John McEnroe would have been proud. But it’s Djokovic who wins the game.

8.13pm BST

Djokovic 6-3, 3-3 Sousa*. And they stay on serve in more conventional fashion on Ashe. A couple of easy holds.

8.10pm BST

Sabalenka* 3-6, 6-2 Osaka. Weirdly, given it’s the business end of the set, the intensity drops on Armstrong. Some extremely scrappy play as the pair trade points. It’s 30-30. Then a half-assed waft by Osaka goes way long; her viewfinder’s been on the blink during this second set. She’ll hope to reset it for the third, which is where we’re heading, because Sabalenka finally gets her gameface on and bashes down an ace to win the set and level the match! The players will now take advantage of the ten-minute Extreme Heat rule.

8.07pm BST

Djokovic 6-3, 2-2 Sousa*. So they’re still on terms in the second set over on Ashe. But it’s not quite as you’d imagine. First Sousa broke Djokovic to love, and then he gave up his own serve without too much of a fight.

8.06pm BST

Sabalenka 3-6, 5-2 Osaka*. Sabalenka races into a 15-40 lead, but gives up the two set points with some sloppy play. Very many deuces later, and Osaka earns a stay of execution. Sabalenka will still be serving for the set, but at least she’s got something to think about. For a brief moment in that game, it looked as though Osaka had given up. But she got it together very well.

8.00pm BST

Sabalenka* 3-6, 5-1 Osaka. Meanwhile Sabalenka is running away with this second set. Osaka is being out-served, out-powered and out-thought. She’s cutting a discouraged figure right now. It’s been a complete turnaround.

7.58pm BST

Djokovic 6-3, 1-1 Sousa*. It’s going with serve early doors in the second set on Ashe.

7.56pm BST

Sabalenka 3-6, 4-1 Osaka*. Back on Armstrong, Sabalenka looks to press home her advantage. She consolidates the break by holding her own serve, then goes 0-30 up on Osaka’s. The young Japanese star lets her head drop a little. She takes a deep breath and a couple of big serves wins her a couple of points. But then she twangs another couple of forehands long. The second came at the end of another lengthy rally; Sabalenka is out-grinding her in these exchanges. This is a great match.

7.51pm BST

Djokovic 6-3 Sousa*. Djokovic begins the game by sending a two-handed passing shot screaming from way out left to right. There’s suddenly scoreboard pressure on Sousa, who looks flustered. His expression changes to mild dismay as a net cord sends one of his shots out of play during a rally. And a double fault wraps things up with a pretty bow for the two-time champion. The first set took 37 minutes.

7.48pm BST

Djokovic* 5-3 Sousa. Over on Ashe, they’ve been trading service games. This is where they are now. Sousa will serve to stay in the set.

7.47pm BST

Sabalenka 3-6, 2-1 Osaka*. Sabalenka is powerful and precise; she moves Osaka around in a couple of points, pushing her deep, dispatching crashing cross-court winners. She takes her opponent to a couple of deuces. She swats one away at the net to earn her second break point of the match. But at the clutch she gets tense, spraying a simple forehand wide. It looks as though the opportunity is gone, as Osaka gains advantage. But Sabalenka creams a gorgeous volley down the left sideline to keep in the game, and it’s Osaka’s turn to get nervous. A stunning rally - no figures to hand, but it was surely over 20 strokes - earns the break for Sabalenka when Osaka balloons long. What a game!

7.39pm BST

Sabalenka* 3-6, 1-1 Osaka. The second set opens like the first, with both players holding their serve with minimum fuss.

7.36pm BST

Djokovic 3-2 Sousa*. But Sousa doesn’t fancy being left too far behind. After a couple of wild shots to open the game, he pulls himself together, putting away a Djokovic drop shot and whipping a winner down the right sideline. He holds and stays in touch.

7.32pm BST

Djokovic* 3-1 Sousa. Djokovic consolidates his lead with an easy hold.

7.30pm BST

Sabalenka* 3-6 Osaka. Both players hold serve. So Sabalenka finds herself serving to stay in the set. At which point she’s powered backwards by Osaka, who takes charge of the court, moving her opponent hither and yon. She breaks to love, and takes the first set. Sabalenka grabs the opportunity to leave the court. Both players depart.

7.27pm BST

Djokovic 2-1 Sousa*. It hasn’t taken long for the tournament favourite to seize the upper hand on Ashe. Djokovic takes Sousa to five deuces, saves three game points, then seals the deal with a fine cross-court whip.

7.20pm BST

Sabalenka 2-4 Osaka*. Anything you can do ... it’s Osaka’s turn to hit a couple of big serves. Two aces in a row help her to an easy hold.

7.19pm BST

Djokovic* 1-1 Sousa. Over on Ashe, the favourite Novak Djokovic takes on Joao Sousa, who is looking to become the first Portuguese man to make the quarters. Opening service games are secured without much in the way of drama.

7.16pm BST

Sabalenka* 2-3 Osaka. Osaka earns herself three break points, a forehand sent screaming down the left sideline the highlight. Sabalenka gets two-thirds of the way to recovery, booming down a couple of huge serves. Impressive stuff. But then her mechanism suddenly betrays her. She double-faults and Osaka has the first break.

7.11pm BST

OK, they’re up and running again on Louis Armstrong. Aryna Sabalenka, the 20-year-old conqueror of two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitová, takes on Naomi Osaka of Japan, also just 20. Whoever wins this battle of up-and-coming stars will reach the quarter-final of a slam for the first time. They’ve shared the first four games of the match, all of them going with serve. But Sabalenka’s made more inroads, forcing a break point in Osaka’s second service game. It’s 2-2 in the first set.

6.44pm BST

Interlude: Novak Djokovic takes on Joao Sousa on Arthur Ashe at 2pm local; meanwhile Naomi Osaka will soon look to turn a great day for Japanese tennis into a stellar one by seeing off the young Belarusian sensation Aryna Sabalenka. All of that coming up. In the meantime, internet kids, in the days before Amazon Prime there was a thing called the BBC. And they used to transmit things like this ...

6.35pm BST

Kei Nishikori beats Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-2, 7-5. A few seconds later on Louis Armstrong, the 2014 runner-up sees off the 34-year-old German, and reaches the quarters. Like the Keys-Cibulkova game on Arthur Ashe, that one was never in doubt.

6.33pm BST

Madison Keys beats Dominika Cibulkova 6-1, 6-3! Last year’s losing finalist moves imperiously into the quarter-finals! The US star powers her way past her Slovak opponent. It wasn’t as though Cibulkova played particularly badly; she was simply overwhelmed by the power and precision of her opponent. On this form, Keys could easily go one better than 2017.

6.28pm BST

Nishikori 6-3, 6-2, 6-5 Kohlschreiber*. And what a response by Nishikori, who will get a second go at serving for the match! He takes Kohlschreiber to deuce, saves a game point, then having gained advantage, sends a right-to-left forehand whistling towards the left-hand corner of the court.

6.25pm BST

Keys* 6-1, 5-3 Cibulkova. Make that a full dozen. Twelve points in a row for Madison Keys. What a gear change! What a response to being hauled back to parity in this set!

6.24pm BST

Keys 6-1, 4-3 Cibulkova*. Over on Ashe, here’s Keys’ response to being broken, then Cibulkova holding her serve: eight consecutive points. She’s now two games away from the quarters!

6.21pm BST

Nishikori* 6-3, 6-2, 5-5 Kohlschreiber. Kohlschreiber, having held his serve to make it 5-4, forces Nishikori to serve out for the match. At 30-30, Nishikori stuns Armstrong by double-faulting. Then Kohlschreiber hits long. Deuce. Kohlschreiber earns an advantage by dominating the net. That’s given up as he shanks a forehand into the air! But he refuses to go down. Another advantage, as a cute drop shot earns him a third break point. And this time he converts, giving Nishikori the runaround and forcing him into flapping weakly into the net! We’re back on terms, and the big German isn’t out of this yet!

6.15pm BST

Keys* 6-1, 2-2 Cibulkova. And then, out of nowhere, Cibulkova breaks! She races into a 0-30 lead, but lets it slip, Keys moving her left and right and eventually putting her away. It’s 30-30 and Cibulkova’s shoulders slump. But then Cibulkova perks up again, forcing Keys on the back foot. Keys slaps a forehand into the net, and we’re level in the second set!

6.11pm BST

Keys 6-1, 2-1 Cibulkova*. Over on Ashe, it’s another battle for Cibulkova’s serve. The No29 seed prevails over last year’s finalist this time, but she’s being forced to dig deep for the smallest of scraps.

6.09pm BST

Nishikori* 6-3, 6-2, 5-3 Kohlschreiber. Kohlschreiber has a desperate go at breaking back immediately, fighting his way to 30-30. But Nishikori, as he’s done so often, sends him skittering hysterically this way and that, eventually putting his opponent away with yet another cross-court whip. He’s a game away from the quarters.

6.06pm BST

Nishikori 6-3, 6-2, 4-3 Kohlschreiber*. At deuce, Nishikori sends a double-handed swat down the left sideline, finding the corner of the court with forensic precision. Kohlschreiber blooters the next point long, and the jig might be up.

6.03pm BST

Keys* 6-1, 2-0 Cibulkova. Cibulkova finds a couple of lines herself, battling to a 15-30 lead. But another cross-court screamer, followed by a booming forehand hit straight and deep that Cibulkova simply can’t get a racket on, secures the game for the US star.

6.00pm BST

Keys 6-1, 1-0 Cibulkova*. Keys earns three break points, dismissing one of Cibulkova’s serves with an imperious left-to-right forehand. The Slovakian claws two of them back, but another unforced error, a forehand wafted out to the right, compounds the damage. She’s already playing catch-up in this second set.

5.57pm BST

Nishikori* 6-3, 6-2, 3-3 Kohlschreiber. But first let’s nip back to Louis Armstrong. The third set is still going with serve, but there are signs that Kohlschreiber is beginning to ask questions of Nishikori. At last. A couple of deuces on the Japanese’s serve, and Nishikori is grateful to Hawkeye, which calls one of his serves in by the width of a wispy yellow hair. Kohlschreiber allows himself a wry smile.

5.52pm BST

Keys* 6-1 Cibulkova. Aces three and four for Madison Keys, and the 23-year-old from Illinois takes the opening set in 35 minutes. Nearly half of that was the second game! She wrapped that up in some style, sending a screaming backhand down the line to wrong-foot Cibulkova. It’s been very impressive stuff. Was Cibulkova’s spirit broken pretty much from the get-go, Keys winning that marathon second game? We’ll find out soon enough; here comes her second set response.

5.48pm BST

Keys 5-1 Cibulkova*. Keys is playing some superb power tennis, finding the corners with unerring accuracy. She earns another break point, though she’s gifted the game when Cibulkova balloons a simple volley at the net wide.

5.46pm BST

Nishikori* 6-3, 6-2, 2-2 Kohlschreiber. It’s still going with serve in the third set, though that doesn’t tell the whole story. Nishikori should have broken Kohlschreiber, but missed an easy volley on break point. He held his own serve to love, though. There’s only one winner here, unless there’s a turnaround for the ages.

5.44pm BST

Keys* 4-1 Cibulkova. A big hold for the No29 seed on Ashe, and she’s on the board. But she’s making no inroads on the serve of her opponent; a crashing serve-and-volley point, followed by a power serve that can’t be returned with any accuracy, ensures the American stays a break up and in control of the first set.

5.37pm BST

Keys* 3-0 Cibulkova. And as so often after a marathon tussle, an easy hold. Over on Armstrong, it’s going with serve in the third set between Nishikori and Kohlschreiber: 1-1.

5.35pm BST

Keys 2-0 Cibulkova*. Back on Ashe, a marathon second game! Fourteen minutes, eight deuces and five break points. Cibulkova displays her grit, but Keys is relentless, eventually grinding her opponent down, sending her left and right before whipping a glorious cross-court forehand out of reach. A huge break for Keys. An early reducer, in the parlance of 1980s association football commentary.

5.29pm BST

Nishikori* 6-3, 6-2 Kohlschreiber. The 2014 finalist secures the second set with neither fuss nor drama. He pumps his fist accordingly. Kohlschreiber is now wearing a cap in an attempt to keep the temperature of his noggin to acceptable levels, but that’s surely a horse long bolted.

5.24pm BST

Nishikori 6-3, 5-2 Kohlschreiber*. Back on Armstrong, both players hold their serve as the second set grinds on to the business end. But Kohlschreiber continues to look ragged; he’s pushed to deuce as he serves to stay in the set. Nishikori is one step away from a two-set lead.

5.20pm BST

Keys* 1-0 Cibulkova. Madison Keys holds her serve in the opening game on Ashe. It’ll be interesting to see how this one pans out. Dominika Cibulkova will be on a high after seeing off the fourth seed Angelique Kerber. But she has played three three-setters to get here, taking over eight hours. Keys by contrast has just dropped the one set en route to the fourth round, and she’s only been on court for four-and-a-half hours. Last year’s losing finalist also has a 4-0 record against Cibulkova.

5.15pm BST

Nishikori 6-3, 4-1 Kohlschreiber*. Nishikori swans into a 0-40 lead, advancing to the net and swatting one away with contemptuous ease. He would have won the game to love, had he challenged a Kohlschreiber forehand down the line, which was called in but fell out. No matter, as Kohlschreiber wafts a knackered shot into the net, and Nishikori is a double-break to the good.

5.12pm BST

Nishikori* 6-3, 3-1 Kohlschreiber. Nishikori holds his serve easily enough. The veteran German is making no inroads right now; strange, given the early break he earned. This isn’t the most enthralling match so far. Madison Keys and Dominika Cibulkova are warming up on Arthur Ashe. When they get going, we’ll be nipping over there.

5.09pm BST

Nishikori 6-3, 2-1 Kohlschreiber*. Kohlschreiber has already made 17 unforced errors. Six aces though. He makes hard work of holding his serve, falling 15-30 down, Nishikori whipping a glorious backhand right to left, Kohlschreiber not bothering to chase it. But a couple of big serves save the day. He’s on the board in the second set.

5.03pm BST

Nishikori* 6-3, 2-0 Kohlschreiber. Nishikori whips a forehand down the line to build a 30-0 lead. But he’s pegged back to 30-30. Just as it looks like he’s rocking, he moves Kohlschreiber this way and that, charges forward, and forces a panicked flap into the net. Another rally, in which Kohlschreiber is forced to do all the running and fetching, and Nishikori has built on his early advantage.

4.58pm BST

Nishikori 6-3, 1-0 Kohlschreiber*. The sweat is pouring off Kohlschreiber’s furrowed brow. He becomes concerned when Nishikori charges one down at the net; he stands shocked as a two-handed screamer whistles past him on the left; he’s positively flummoxed as he hoicks one long. Having given up the first set in short order, he’s already a break down in the second.

4.52pm BST

First set: Nishikori* 6-3 Kohlschreiber. A point against serve! But little good it does Kohlschreiber, who gives up the opening set in 34 minutes. Nishikori is wearing a cap in this heat; there’s nothing shielding his opponent’s neep. QED.

4.48pm BST

First set: Nishikori 5-3* Kohlschreiber. Another service game to love. After an interesting start, this match has gone all mid-90s Wimbledon.

4.47pm BST

First set: Nishikori* 5-2 Kohlschreiber. Now it’s Nishikori’s turn to win his service game to love.

4.42pm BST

First set: Nishikori 4-2 Kohlschreiber*. Kohlschreiber finally wins a service game, and he does it to love.

4.39pm BST

First set: Nishikori* 4-1 Kohlschreiber. Nishikori puts an end to the nonsense, holding his serve to 15. No drama.

4.36pm BST

First set: Nishikori 3-1 Kohlschreiber*. Another game, another break. Nishikori earns himself a couple of break points, chasing everything down with Djokovician zeal. Kohlschreiber saves one with a crashing ace, then nearly saves the second with another. But Nishikori somehow returns that second boomer, and Kohlschreiber hits long in shock.

4.32pm BST

First set: Nishikori* 2-1 Kohlschreiber. Kohlschreiber breaks straight back! The game swings when the German crashes a cross-court forehand from let to right, Nishikori unable to chase it down. Kohlschreiber then wins a long rally, Nishikori flapping one into the net under pressure from the break point.

4.27pm BST

First set: Nishikori 2-0 Kohlschreiber*. An early break on Louis Armstrong for Kei Nishikori. After winning his opening service game, the 21st seed from Japan is gifted a break. Philipp Kohlschreiber double-faults at 30-30, then sends an unforced error wide right.

4.23pm BST

Hot and heavy. It promises to be another humid day in New York. Not quite as sweltering as the middle of last week, but steamy enough for the organisers to implement the Extreme Heat policy. In the men’s, a 10-minute break will be allowed between the third and fourth sets if either player requests one. The women are given the option between the second and third sets. Medical timeouts for heat-related illnesses are also allowed.

4.16pm BST

The first big match of the day: Kei Nishikori and Philipp Kohlschreiber. Nishikori is the favourite going into this Louis Armstrong showdown, having reached the final back in 2014. By contrast, the fourth round is as far as Kohlschreiber’s ever got at Flushing Meadows. But the 34-year-old German saw off Alexander Zverev, his 21-year-old countryman and fourth seed, 6-7, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 on Saturday. Another upset coming up? Play!

2.03pm BST

Good morning Flushing Meadows! And welcome to Labor Day at the 2018 US Open.

Everyone’s on holiday, except some of the biggest names in tennis. In the women’s singles, last year’s runner-up Madison Keys, the 2006 champ Maria Sharapova, and the new 20-year-old sensation Aryna Sabalenka, who did for two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitová the other day.

Related: Serena Williams relieved to emerge from tough battle with Kaia Kanepi

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