On Friday, Djokovic will play either Guido Pella or Mikhail Youzhny.
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Despite claiming the treatment on his arm had only been “preventative”, the 29-year-old was set for a more testing encounter against Vesely, ranked 49th in the world and who won their last encounter in Monte Carlo in April. While I’m sure Djokovic would have loved to play, rest may be the best thing for him at the moment as he continues to nurse a questionable wrist injury.
Raonic, considered as a potential title dangerman in NY, hit 18 aces and 69 winners but committed 62 unforced errors.
The 13th-seeded Konta went down late in the second set Wednesday against Tsvetana Pironkova.
The American world No.120 blunted the Raonic serve throughout the match, winning seven of 18 break points as the Canadian struggled with his game, his body and the intense heat in NY. Vesely wrote on Instagram afterward that the arm had been bothering him for a couple of days and he would see what the doctors in NY said about it. Rogers was a surprise quarterfinalist at the French Open this year. Seventh seeded Italian Vinci, defeated by compatriot Flavia Pennetta in last year’s final, eased past Christina McHale of the United States 6-1, 6-3.
The 33-year-old, playing at Flushing Meadows for the 14th time, goes on to face Germany’s Carina Witthoeft. The Serb, who has been struggling with a wrist injury in recent weeks, dropped the second set before coming through 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.
Two-time Wimbledon victor Petra Kvitova, the 14th seeded Czech who recorded her best performance in NY 12 months ago when she made the last-eight, beat Turkey’s Cagla Buyukakcay 7-6 (7/2), 6-3.
Vesely first suffered the injury last week, forcing him to pull out midway through a tournament in Winston-Salem, and it was further exacerbated by his five-set match of nearly four hours in the first round on Monday.
Early winners in the men’s event were South Africa’s Kevin Anderson who saw off Canada’s Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 6-4.
Two-time U.S. Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki has defeated a top-10 opponent for the first time in almost a year, bouncing back from a horrid start to beat 2004 champ Svetlana Kuznetsova.
He took off Tuesday then had more inflammation Wednesday morning.
Seppi, ranked at 87, has never got beyond the third round in NY but he is a former top 20 player who knocked Roger Federer out of the Australian Open two years ago.
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Reigning Roland Garros champion and third seed Garbine Muguruza of Spain tackles Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova.
