Rublev downs Briton Norrie to reach US Open quarter-finals in rainy New York City

The ninth seed sent over 11 aces and had fewer than half the unforced errors his opponent did in a brisk affair that was surely a reprieve after Rublev endured two five-set battles in the earlier rounds.

With Rublev up a break in the second set, rain forced a considerable delay as Louis Armstrong Stadium's retractable roof slowly slid into place and workers mopped up the court before the eighth game.

Roland-Garros quarter-finalist Rublev was unfazed, dropping only two of his first serve points in the third set and getting the critical break over the seventh seed in the ninth game with an exquisitely placed backhand winner.

On the hunt for a maiden major title, Rublev's recent hard court performances painted an inconsistent picture, as he crashed out of his Montreal opener to Briton Dan Evans (32) and lost in the third round at Cincinnati.

But he appeared to be fully in command of his game on New York's famed blue courts on Monday, with local favourite Frances Tiafoe (24) waiting in the next round. The American defeated second seed Rafa Nadal (36).

"I played a good match," Rublev said in an on-court interview after his victory against Norrie.

"This is the US Open, this is a Grand Slam, everyone is nervous, everyone is tight."

"Today was everything going my side. Like when I need to play, like to make a good serve I was making good serve. Every time when I need him to miss he was missing," he told reporters.

Seventh seed Norrie, who enjoyed a career breakthrough this year when he reached a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time at the All England Club, said he was a "bit too relaxed and too low energy" in the match.

"I went through a stage in the second set, I wasn't hitting my backhand, I was missing a lot. Errors on my backhand side was not like myself. I usually can rely on that side," he told reporters.

"It was good learning for me."