NEW YORK (Agencies): Jennifer Brady clasped her hands, threw back her head, closed her eyes and soaked in the biggest moment of her tennis career.
The 25-year-old led a contingent of players - two of them Americans - into their first U.S. Open quarterfinals on Sunday, beating former champion Angelique Kerber 6-1, 6-4 with a dominant serve and forehand.
Shelby Rogers later joined her with a 7-6 (5), 3-6, 7-6 (6) victory over two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. It's Rogers' second Grand Slam quarterfinal overall and first at Flushing Meadows.
She now plays two-time major champion Naomi Osaka, who won the US Open two years ago and advanced to the quarterfinals by beating No. 14 seed Anett Kontaveit 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday night. Rogers has beaten Osaka all three times they've played.
A bracket lacking six of the top eight women in the rankings because of injuries and coronavirus concerns has given up-and-comers a chance to seize the moment. Nobody has done it better than Brady, who has yet to drop a set and has lost only 19 games in her four matches.
For Kerber, it was an abrupt end to a resurgent week. The three-time major champion, including at the 2016 US Open champion, couldn't make headway against the American, whose biggest challenge came leading 3-2 in the second set.
Brady took a medical timeout and returned to the court with her upper left leg wrapped.
Brady had never reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal. Her impressive week - as good as anyone's - has provided a breakout moment.
Brady will play Yulia Putintseva, who threw her racket to the ground after dropping the second set in her match - an outburst that became a turning point.
The 35th-ranked player recovered for a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 victory over No. 8 seed Petra Martic and her first berth in a US Open quarterfinal.
Alize Cornet of France reached the fourth round of the US Open for the first time, giving her another chance for that elusive first berth in a Grand Slam quarterfinal. It's her 57th chance to finally get that far.
Meanwhle, Denis Shapovalov has become the first Canadian to reach the quarter-finals in men's singles at the U.S. Open following a four-set victory over No. 7 seed David Goffin of Belgium on Sunday.
The 12th-seeded Shapovalov toppled Goffin: 6-7 (7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in the fourth round of the Grand Slam tournament to advance.
