By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, September 3, 2018
NEW YORK—US Open night sessions are power parties when Maria Sharapova plays.
Tonight, Carla Suarez Navarro pulled the plug on the night queen with a rousing birthday bash snapping Sharapova's perfect night record with a near pristine performance.
Watch: Keys Crushes Cibulkova, Returns to US Open Quarterfinals
Celebrating her 30th birthday in style, Suarez Navarro sliced up Sharapova, 6-4, 6-3, cruising into her first US Open quarterfinal since 2013.
An imposing Sharapova took the court with a sparkling 23-0 mark in US Open night matches and a 4-1 mark against the stylish Spaniard.
None of that mattered much to Suarez Navarro, who deployed her versatility and all-court acumen to defuse the power player's flat blasts.
"I know that Maria play every day [on Arthur Ashe Stadium]," Suarez Navarro told ESPN's Rennae Stubbs afterward. "For me, it's totally different. I'm really happy because I play a really good match. So I really enjoy this crowd and this amazing night session."
The victory vaults Suarez Navarro into her seventh career Grand Slam quarterfinal where she will play Madison Keys. The 2017 US Open finalist dismissed Dominika Cibulkova, 6-1, 6-3, earlier today. Keys has won all three meetings with Suarez Navarro, which have all gone the distance.
Shrewdly mixing the pace, spin and speed of her shots, Suarez Navarro, converted five of seven break points, beat Sharapova in running rallies and made the Russian's shrieking grip-and-rip style look one dimensional at times.
"I tried to play aggressive, tried to be focus on my game," Suarez Navarro said."Sometimes is difficult when you go on this amazing court for the first time. Try to play aggressive, try to be solid sometimes because she hit fast the ball. I have to run and fight."
Struggling to tame her stray service toss, Sharapova fought through stretches of sloppy shotmaking hitting 18 more unforced errors (38 to 20) than her opponent.
"I thought she played a great match," Sharapova said. "She did many things well. She was consistent when she had to be. She forced me to make mistakes. She moves extremely well. Those are all the things that I think we all know going into a matchup against someone like Carla."
It concludes a disappointing Slam season for the 2006 US Open champion, who reached the Roland Garros quarterfinals and was bounced out of the opening round of Wimbledon.
Transforming a balmy Labor Day night into a rocking birthday bash, Suarez Navarro took 23,000 fans inside Arthur Ashe Stadium along for the ride.
Exploiting a Sharapova double fault, the Spaniard broke in the third game.
Stinging her first serve, Suarez Navarro backed up the break for 3-1.
A skittish Sharapova couldn't shake her service yips. Crumpling in a three double-fault debacle, including one second serve that died in the bottom of the net, she faced triple break point. Suarez Navarro ripped a crosscourt backhand breaking for 4-1.
The pair exchanged breaks again as Sharapova broke for 3-5 when Suarez Navarro served for the set.
The Russian ripped a crosscourt backhand snapping a run of four consecutive breaks with her first hold since the opening game.
Serving for the set again, Suarez Navarro successfully navigated nerves winning three straight points as Sharapova scattered a pair of forehands closing a scratchy 42-minute opener.
The pair combined for 30 unforced errors and five service breaks in the opening set.
Chasing her high service toss, Sharapova struggled to control the serve. Dancing all over the court, Suarez Navarro showed her variety winning an 18-shot rally—the longest of the match—to open the second set with a break.
The No. 30 seed spun her third double fault to give back the break.
The methodical rituals Sharapova performs before serving can test the serve clock and disrupt the rhythm of her serve. Her seventh double fault put her in another break-point bind as the Spaniard scored the eighth break of the match for 3-2.
Denying a break point in the sixth game, Suarez Navarro pummeled Sharapova with a series of crosscourt forehands then calmly stepped in and scalded a forehand down the line for 4-2.
On a night when former President Bill Clinton was in attendance, Suarez Navarro vetoed Sharapova's comeback bid.
Sweat soaked Sharapova's black visor while concern crept across her face. Suarez Navarro cleverly slid a series of slice backhands deep in the corner drawing a floated error for match point.
After that sustained dose of off-pace shots, Suarez Navarro went for the kill shot.
Stepping inside the baseline, the Spaniard blew out the candle on the birthday cake hammering a backhand winner to end it in 91 minutes.