Andy Murray delivered a resounding message about his credentials to win the US Open after the world number two demolished Grigor Dimitrov to reach the quarter-finals.
Murray produced a flawless performance in Arthur Ashe Stadium and Dimitrov was simply unable to cope as the Scot strolled to a 6-1 6-2 6-2 victory.
The British number one has now reached the last eight in 22 out of his last 23 grand slams and he will face Japan's sixth seed Kei Nishikori for a place in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Juan Martin del Potro says he feels like a new man having continued his remarkable resurgence after injury by reaching the quarter-finals.
The Argentinian advanced to the last eight on Monday after his opponent Dominic Thiem retired with a knee problem. Del Potro had led the Austrian 6-3 3-2 in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
It means the 2009 US Open champion, now 142nd in the world, is the lowest-ranked player to make the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows since Jimmy Connors in 1991.
The 27-year-old is unseeded and needed a wildcard even to enter in New York after a chronic wrist injury saw him miss nine grand slams in a row and his ranking plummet.
Del Potro, however, insists he is not dwelling on his triumph here seven years ago but feels rejuvenated to challenge again.
"I think everything in 2009 is completely the past," Del Potro said.
"Of course I asked for the wildcard here because of that memory, I like to be here, but now my life is different. I have a different game.
"I'm getting older. Everything is like new for me. It's like a new career after my third surgery. I'm really enjoying this."
Del Potro faces world number three Stan Wawrinka in the next round and is one win away from a potential last-four meeting with Andy Murray. The Scot won their most recent meeting in a brutal but enthralling final at the Olympics last month.
It all amounts to a fairy-tale return for Del Potro, who last made a major quarter-final three years ago and admits he was close to retiring before a final bout of surgery in 2015.
"I was close to retired before my third surgery, but after that I always believe in myself to come back in tennis," Del Potro said.
"When I made the decision to have the surgery, I always believed I would come back, for sure.
"I was close to retired before my third surgery"
"And after that, everything changed for myself, and now I'm here. I'm playing free. I don't have any big problems in my wrist, and that's important.
"Sometimes it bothers me a little bit, but I can deal with that. I'm still improving my backhand."
Thiem is a rising star but the 23-year-old has played 69 matches this year, a higher number than any other man on the ATP Tour and more than double Del Potro's 30.
The draining schedule was always likely to catch up with him.
"I never expected to play that many matches, of course, this year," Thiem said. "For sure next year I'm going to change it up a little bit."
While Thiem departs for some much-needed recovery, Del Potro must turn his attention to Wawrinka, who overcame Ukraine's Illya Marchenko 6-4 6-1 6-7 (5/7) 6-3.
Wawrinka had to save match point against Britain's Dan Evans in round three but he had few problems beating Marchenko, ranked 63rd in the world.
The Swiss lost to Del Potro in the second round at Wimbledon this summer but the pair have never met on a hard court, where Wawrinka is far more comfortable.
"He's playing really well," Wawrinka said. "I saw him playing against (David) Ferrer. He's playing really strong. At the Olympics also, he was there beating the top guys.
"It's going to be a difficult match. But for both of us I think it's going to be important to try to dictate and be aggressive on the court."
