Second seed Rafael Nadal edged out big-serving South African Weslie Moodie 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 on Sunday to reach the fourth round of the US Open for the first time.
The Spaniard was pushed hard by the world number 82 but finally clinched victory after two hours 49 minutes to set up a fourth-round win clash against Czech Jiri Novak.
"This tournament is very special for me," Nadal said.
"I reached the fourth round, which is good and I am improving on hard courts."
One break was enough to give Nadal the first set and the French Open champion snatched the second on a tiebreak to take complete control.
Moodie continued to test Nadal with his serve-volley game but the world number two always held the edge and won the third-set tiebreak 7-4 to advance to the last 16.
FEDERER EASES THROUGH
Top seed Roger Federer rolled into the fourth round with a crushing 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 victory over unseeded Vince Spadea on Sunday.
The twice defending champion used his all-court brilliance to race to victory in 88 minutes, striking 40 winners past the outclassed American.
The Swiss world number one made no contest of the match in the final set as he poured in 80 percent of his first serves and lost only nine points to complete the rout.
Federer will next meet 79th-ranked Marc Gicquel of France, who clinched victory over 21st-seed Gaston Gaudio of Argentina by winning a fifth-set tiebreaker 7-3.
