There was some concern that play might be affected by a tropical depression on Saturday, but the schedule was unaffected and all third round matches were completed.

Halep Battles On

It was three matches in one as 5th seed Simona Halep bettered 31st seeded Timea Babos, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 in an early match.

In the first set, Halep continued her consistent play, gaining control by moving Babos around the court. Meanwhile, she used her quickness and court coverage to her advantage.

But in the second set, Babos adjusted and dictated play with powerful strikes placing the frustrated Romanian on the defensive.

In the decisive third set, the two players settled in and battled with long rallies and high-quality shot-making but Babos opened up a 3-1 lead. Play went back and forth until Halep fought back and eventually broke the Hungarian to gain a 5-4 edge. She would serve out the match and advance to the fourth round.

Both players gifted a high number of unforced errors as each seemed to aim closer to the lines due to their opponent’s defensive prowess. However, Halep broke serve 6 times to Babos’ 4, which was the difference in the match.

Halep will face Carla Suarez Navarro who eliminated Elena Vesnina in straight sets.

Serena Overpowers Larsson

Top-seed Serena Williams took another step closer to major number 23, rolling into the fourth round after powering past Johanna Larsson 6-2, 6-1. Williams completed the task in just over an hour.

Serena was all business as she drove the Swede into defensive mode for most of the match. Larsson could only find 5 winners in the two-set affair. Meanwhile, Williams lost just five points off of her first serve and threw in 6 aces for good measure.

The status of her shoulder continued to be a topic of discussion afterward, “It definitely feels solid,” she said. “I'm doing a lot of work on it so I can keep it in this position. I'm not going to stop (that).”

The American will face unseeded Yaroslava Shvedova in the next round.

Del Potro Advances Past Ferrer

After a tight first set, Juan Martin Del Potro powered past David Ferrer 7-6, 6-2, 6-3.  The wild-card entry continues to play at a high level after his run at the Rio Olympics and is certainly shaping into a serious title contender with each passing match.

Del Potro, once again, rode the power of a one-two punch from his serve and big forehand. He overcame 34 unforced errors with 37 winners in the match.

The Argentine put his recent run into perspective afterward, “I am so excited to show my tennis again after my surgeries. I was close to quitting but now I am playing again at a place which feels like home,” he said. “It's an incredible atmosphere, it makes me happy every day. It doesn't matter if I win or lose. I just want to play my tennis again after so many problems. If I can hit my forehand again like I did in 2009, then it will be fun for everyone.”

As for the match, “I got stronger mentally after the first set,” del Potro said. “Against David, you never know when the match is going to finish. He never gives up. It's a pleasure to play against him because he puts me under pressure all the time. I needed to play my best tennis today.”

Murray Through to the Fourth Round

Andy Murray overcame a spirited effort by veteran Paolo Lorenzi and advanced with a 7-6, 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 win. Lorenzi, fresh off of a marathon five-setter in the last round, appeared to wear down late in the match.

It was a subpar serving day for Murray who placed just 53 percent of his first offerings into play. His aggressive play reflected in his 60 winners to go with 63 unforced errors.

On how he took control of the match, Murray reflected, “I stopped rushing in the rallies and was making quite a few unforced errors,” he said. “When I slowed things down and waited for the right shot to go for, my unforced errors went down, the winners went up and the scoreboard started working in my favor. Maybe it took me a little bit longer than I would have liked to work things out.”

Murray will face Grigor Dimitrov next.

Other notable winners in the men’s draw included Kei Nishikori and Stan Wawrinka who survives a grueling 5-set match with Daniel Evans. Domenic Thiem joined them in the fourth round after a four-set win over Pablo Carreno Busta.

Agnieszka Radwanska and Carla Suarez Navarro were among those who advanced in the women’s draw.