Top seed Serena Williams, bidding for her sixth US Open crown, crushed Taylor Townsend 6-3, 6-1.
World No.1 Serena Williams could potentially play Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the semifinals after the draw was held Thursday. Second-seeded Simona Halep and fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska are in the other half. Halep could meet five-time major champ Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals.