Relive Sharapova's exit and Williams' victory

Venus Williams, speaking after her three-set victory: "The energy of the crowd here, do you hear that energy? It makes me feel I got to hit a winner, I got to hit an ace. I love it here.

"I don't know how to explain my longevity. If I did I would bottle it and sell it. My sister and my family motivate me a lot.

"I am focused on myself and being as aggressive as possible. Nobody gives you a Slam, you got to take it and I am trying to take it."

Venus quotes Billie Jean King - "power is privilege" - as she gives her post-match interview.

She says the crowd pushed her to do something special as the game went on.

Carla Suarez Navarro leaves the stadium to a nice ovation from the crowd.

Williams will go on to face either Garbine Muguruza or Petra Kvitova in the quarters.

Oops! There goes the first one, as Williams goes for the big forehand winner, and ends up leathering it long.

There's a touch of discomfort on Venus' face as she feels at her left hip, but she's been moving around relatively smoothly.

A litany of errors from a deflated Suarez Navarro, and three match points come racing along for Williams.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

A 111mph serve comes Suarez Navarro's way, and just as Venus looks to be in cruise control, a double fault comes crashing down.

That forces deuce, but Suaez Navarro lashes a forehand long and then into the net to hand Williams the game. She's just one away.

A shank from Suarez Navarro has Williams dancing about, trying to keep track of the ball, but it lands out of bounds for 0-15.

An ace restores parity, but Williams has gone up a notch. A superb backhand volley puts Williams two points up - and she goes cross court with a belter to go a double break up!

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

That's a superb point!

The two players are up at the net, volley meeting volley, drop shot meeting drop shot, and eventually it's Suarez Navarro that gets the extra bit of space and smashes over the winner.

Williams cracks down an ace to take it to 40-15, though, before Suarez Navarro's forehand finds the net.

Back-to-back volleys from Williams put her in control of the game, and then a loose forehand from Suarez Navarro hand her two break points.

The crowd noise goes up a notch, and Venus responds with a cross-court swipe that her opponent plans long. The first break of the final set goes her way.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

There's a gorgeous red sky above New York. It'll be another late night for the folks at Flushing Meadows.

Williams whizzes to a 40-0 hold, then makes a mess of a whippy forehand. A forehand error from Suarez Navarro allows her to hold, though.

Suarez Navarro makes a decent start to the decider, as Williams continues to falter.

At 40-15, the Spaniard finds a gap to land a forehand winner to hold.

There's a pleasing symmetry in that score.

Williams was 40-15 to the good, and yet Suarez Navarro is so consistent, and so determined, that it's drawing the errors out of Williams. We're at deuce.

And now Venus goes into the net! Set point to the Spaniard - and she gets it as a Williams backhand goes long.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Two fine winners down the line from Suarez Navarro, and she's on course for a love hold before a Williams backhand goes firing beyond her.

That's, er, not so good though. Williams goes for a volley and ends up pushing it into the net. Ouch. Suarez Navarro is a game away from forcing a decider.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Williams is fuming as she gets a backhand all wrong and plonks it into the net.

She still holds to 15, mind. Still trailing by a break.

Williams steadies herself, cracks out a smash that Suarez Navarro somehow returns - and she follows it with another smash that goes cracking beyond her opponent.

Williams then has her opponent stretching, charging away from the court - and Venus, with all the time and space she could ask for, prods a tame forehand into the net. Oops.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Another break point comes Suarez Navarro's way as Williams overhits, but Williams rescues it as she controls a rally and draws the error out of the Spaniard.

Williams advances, hurrying Suarez Navarro, and she nets, but Williams picks a dreadful time to cough up another double fault. 40-40 again.

And, er, she follows up that double fault with a fine ace. Another big, body serve and Suarez Navarro's return is long. Williams holds.