Rafael Nadal took the roundabout route again before defeating Nikoloz Basilashvili to set up a fourth-round clash with Dominic Thiem at the US Open.

Georgian Basilashvili had won just a single game against Nadal in their only previous meeting at the French Open last year, but played superbly here to take a set before going down 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4 after three hours and 18 minutes.

Basilashvili thumped 56 winners compared to 30 for Nadal, but the Spaniard's greater consistency ultimately saw him through to face Thiem, the only man to beat him on clay for the last two years.

Nadal said: "Two matches in a row very tough ones. I had a big chance at the beginning of the third, if I make that break, maybe things will be different. But I didn't.

"I think I played a good tie-break, but he played fantastic. A lot of credit to him. He was playing great, hitting the ball very, very strong. It seems like I was not in control of the point even when I was hitting good shots.

"I'm very happy to be through. I think I did what I have to do. It's a big victory for me because of what happened two days ago. The physical issue was there of course, but I feel good."

There was no sign of the strapping under his right knee that had caused agitation during Nadal's four-hour marathon against Karen Khachanov on Friday.

Defending champion Sloane Stephens is the sole remaining top-six seed left in the women's singles at the US Open after a day of upsets at Flushing Meadows.

In the women's singles, meanwhile, Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber and fifth seed Petra Kvitova both fell on Louis Armstrong Stadium, which is rapidly establishing itself as a graveyard of champions, while sixth seed Caroline Garcia also lost.

Kvitova was the last victim of the day, the two-time Wimbledon champion overpowered by the hottest player of the moment: 20-year-old Aryna Sabalenka.

The Belarusian was not ranked highly enough to get into the tournament 12 months ago but has soared into the top 20 and won her first WTA Tour title in New Haven on the eve of the tournament.

She has now won 12 of her last 13 matches.

Kerber's exit, joining Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki, means there will be four different grand slam champions for the second year in a row.

Kerber was the last woman to collect two slam titles in a season, winning the Australian and US Opens in 2016 before a dramatic slump last year.

She has been resurgent under the guidance of Wim Fissette, capped by her brilliant victory over Serena Williams at Wimbledon, and had reached at least the quarter-finals at the previous three slams.

But here she found Dominika Cibulkova a step too far, the Slovakian winning 3-6 6-3 6-3.

While the other big names fell around her, Maria Sharapova remained the queen of the night session, extending her perfect record with victory over Jelena Ostapenko.

The 2006 champion has played 23 times under the lights at Flushing Meadows and won on each occasion.

She got a helping hand this time from 10th seed Ostapenko, last year's French Open champion, who hit 40 unforced errors in just 17 games to go down 6-3, 6-2.

Cibulkova next plays last year's runner-up, Madison Keys, who avoided an upset by fighting from a set down to defeat Aleksandra Krunic 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Another upset saw Cincinnati champion Kiki Bertens beaten 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 7-6 (7/1) by Czech teen Marketa Vondrousova.

Vondrousova next faces Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko, who followed up her victory over Wozniacki by beating Katerina Siniakova 6-4, 6-0.

Naomi Osaka has been the most efficient player over the first three rounds and the 20-year-old Japanese-American, who next meets Sabalenka, blasted her way into the last 16 of grand slam for only the second time with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Aliaksandra Sasnovich.