Meantime, the trainer attended to the Serb’s arm during the Janowicz match.
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Nadal’s afternoon match was played with the new $150 million retractable roof open under a blue sky, while offering some extra shade on a day when the temperature reached 90 degrees. Playing Novak, you really have to be 100 per cent ready.
The defending men’s champion, Novak Djokovic, did not need to play a point Wednesday to reach the third round: His opponent, 49th-ranked Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic, withdrew a couple of hours before their match, citing inflammation in his left forearm.
The Spaniard’s reward for a fifth win in five meetings against the Russian-born player is a match-up with Italian veteran Andreas Seppi.
Rafael Nadal made light of a niggling wrist problem as he cruised past Denis Istomin in the US Open first round.
Nadal ran his record in NY first-round contests to 12-0; Istomin has now lost 21 straight matches against top-10 opponents.
“Just to finish the match [was good]”.
Elsewhere on Monday, seventh seed Marin Cilic saw off Brazilian Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-4 7-5 6-1 and 10th seed Gael Monfils beat Gilles Muller 6-4 6-2 7-6 (7/5).
Monfils nearly suffered a freak accident when a giant courtside clock fell towards him as he collided with the back wall, chasing down a Muller shot.
Second seed Angelique Kerber, the silver medalist in Rio, had easy progress into round two after Slovenian opponent Polona Hercog retired while trailing 6-0 1-0.
“That is coming, because I feel the wrist much better, and every day feel that the wrist is a little bit better”.
The only other British player in action on the first day was Kyle Edmund, who makes his way into shock of the day. “So it’s always good to have the first round done”.
Kvitova now plays Ukrainian 22nd seed Elina Svitolina who put out Lauren Davis of the United States 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.
Muguruza plays Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia for a place in the last 32.
DOCTOR’S ORDERS The consultation certainly worked as she reeled off the next seven games to lay the foundation for her win.
Fresh from a successful defence of his Olympic gold in Rio, Murray tackles Czech Lukas Rosol.
Britain’s Kyle Edmund backed up his first round win over world number 15 Richard Gasquet with a 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 victory over United States wildcard Ernesto Escobedo on the back of 53 winners.
Later, Jack Sock was similarly pushed by Fritz, blowing a 4-0 fifth set lead before winning 7-6, 7-5, 3-6, 1-6, 6-4.
McEnroe cited his various media commitments as being a hindrance to his coaching duties with 25-year-old Canadian at Wimbledon, despite the world No. 6 making it all the way to his first grand slam final.
“Overall my level was good”, Djokovic, 20-1 career at night at the Ashe stadium, said.
24th seed Belinda Bencic and former Australian Open finalist Dominika Cibulkova also progressed, while Madison Keys rallied from a set down to defeat compatriot Alison Riske in a match that lasted just short of two-and-a-half hours. But it was then that he took a medical timeout as cramps in his right thigh started to bother him.
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This isn’t the first time Djokovic has shown an affinity for pop/R&B music. He surrendered serve twice after that as he hardly had the strength to stand.
