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New York • Serena Williams does not enjoy viewing videos of her losses. Not one bit.

She used to engage in that sort of film work, Williams said, but "it was so painful; it was like stabbing myself."

So even though Williams knew her third-round opponent at the U.S. Open would be the same woman she lost to at the Australian Open, preparing by studying a replay of that January defeat simply was out of the question.

Did not seem to matter at all.

After splitting Saturday's first eight games against 42nd-ranked Ekaterina Makarova of Russia, the fourth-seeded Williams got into high gear and breezed to a 6-4, 6-0 victory, reeling off the last eight games in a row.

"Definitely was motivated. Knowing that I lost; could definitely happen again. Did not want that to happen," said Williams, who hit 13 aces to raise her tour-leading total this season to 408.

"I really hate watching matches that I lose, unless I'm punishing myself," added the 14-time Grand Slam champion. "I didn't punish myself."

She hasn't been losing much lately.

Since the only first-round Grand Slam exit of her career, against 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano at the French Open on May 29, Williams is 22-1 in singles, including the title at Wimbledon and gold medal at the London Olympics.

That sort of excellence sure saves money for clothes: Williams said she threw out all of the dresses she brought to Paris to wear during matches there.

No such problems so far in New York, where Williams has dropped only 12 games entering her fourth-round match against 82nd-round Andrea Hlavackova of Czech Republic. Hlavackova, the 2011 French Open doubles champion, bawled on court after her 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 win over 14th-seeded Maria Kirilenko, whose boyfriend, Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, was in New York to cheer for her.

The woman Williams beat in the Wimbledon final, second-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, dealt with the 90-degree heat and former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic with equal aplomb during a 6-3, 7-5 victory.

"I was melting there," Radwanska said. "I survived the match."

She wasn't the only one who felt that way.

Olympic champion Andy Murray, still seeking his first Grand Slam title after four losses in finals, eked out a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (4) victory over No. 30 Feliciano Lopez, who led in each of the three tiebreakers before faltering.

"Could have gone either way," Murray acknowledged. "It was very hot and humid in the middle part of the match. I was struggling a bit with that."

The man he beat for the gold at the Summer Games, and lost to in the Wimbledon title match, Roger Federer, is also Murray's potential semifinal opponent in New York. Federer, as is often the case, barely was bothered Saturday while dismissing No. 25 Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Five of Federer's record 17 Grand Slam titles came at Flushing Meadows, and he's sure looking capable of adding to those numbers.

"He didn't give me many chances with his serve," observed Verdasco, who held only one break point and failed to convert it.

Federer also was pretty good at the net, winning 26 of the 27 points when he moved forward. He next will take on No. 16 Gilles Simon or No. 23 Mardy Fish. They were due on court Saturday night, after former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic overcame a poor start, 56 unforced errors and a partisan crowd to beat 19-year-old American Sloane Stephens 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2. Ivanovic also eliminated Stephens in the third round at Flushing Meadows a year ago.

Murray gets No. 15 Milos Raonic, who hit his 29th ace of the day, and 89th of the week, to cap a 6-3, 6-0, 7-6 (3) victory against 32-year-old American wild-card entry James Blake.

Other men winning Saturday included No. 11 Nicolas Almagro, who ended the run of 19-year-old American Jack Sock 7-6 (3), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-1 and now will play 2010 Wimledon runner-up Tomas Berdych, a four-set winner over No. 27 Sam Querrey; No. 12 Marin Cilic, who defeated No. 17 Kei Nishikori; and 50th-ranked Martin Klizan of Slovakia, who beat No. 32 Jeremy Chardy. —

U.S. Open

P Sunday, 9 a.m.

TV • Ch. 2