Defending champion Djokovic, a righty, uses his secondary arm for a two-handed backhand.
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On calling for the medical time-out, he said: “It was just prevention”. Yesterday I had to take a day off because I wasn’t able to practice.
“Novak wasn’t at his best level, that’s for sure, and he made a lot of mistakes from the beginning”, Vesely said that day.
“It’s mental maturity, a little bit of stabilization with everything around me that is allowing me to play with a sense of calm and also with excitement”, said Harrison, who turned pro almost a decade ago and reached a top ranking of 43rd in 2012.
The Serb will face Jiri Vesely in the second round on Wednesday.
Now it is Vesely at Flushing Meadows, the world No49 who prevailed in their only previous meeting at Monte Carlo in April, becoming one of only four men to defeat Djokovic in a completed match since November.
Istomin, who is from Uzbekistan and is ranked 107th, was not exactly likely to give Nadal much of a test.
A wrist injury forced the Spaniard into an early retirement at the French Open and sidelined him from Wimbledon before a gold medal run in the doubles at the Olympics helped ease his misery. He had lost his past 20 matches against top-10 opponents.
Nadal, a twice champion here, already has a memento from this trip to Flushing Meadows – a video recording of him hitting at Arthur Ashe Stadium under the new retractable roof.
Janowicz, now ranked outside the top 200, finally earned his first service break midway through the second set.
For Harrison, a 24-year-old born in Louisiana and now based in Texas, this is his first trip to the third round at a Grand Slam tournament. “It will just make life easier for everyone”.
After a 7-6 (2), 6-2 second-round win over Cagla Buyukakcay on Wednesday, the 14th-seeded Kvitova explained: “For me, it’s really exhausting to still be in the auto and it’s a lot of people here. We spoke about it, were up front, and there’s no ill feelings over it”.
Federer is set to return next year, aiming for an official comeback at the Australian Open. Vinci needed just 22 minutes to win the first set. He said he’s still not back to hitting his forehand the way he does when he’s at his best.
Asked about his fitness and why he called the physio, Djokovic said after the match: “Hopefully as the tournament progresses, I’ll reach my peak”. He has a fantastic future. He hit second serves in the low 80s miles per hour. “But I would certainly buy stock in him right now, for sure”. The 31-year-old has never got past the quarterfinals in nine attempts at his home slam.
She was followed by reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber, who barely raised a sweat in her match against Polona Hercog, winning the opening set without losing a game and was leading 1-0 in the second when her Slovenian opponent pulled the plug due to leg cramping.
There were however, no such hiccups for eighth seed American Madison Keys who overcame compatriot Allison Riske 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.
In the women’s event, Roland Garros victor Garbine Muguruza required three sets and a visit from the doctor before she survived.
Muguruza plays Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia for a place in the last 32. He exited the Rio Olympics in the first round this month, then sat out the Cincinnati Masters because of a sore left wrist.
Isner improved to 9-0 in U.S. Open second-round matches.
Vinci stunned Serena Williams in last year’s semifinals to thwart her bid for the first Grand Slam since 1988, then lost to countrywoman Flavia Pennetta in the final.
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The ninth-seeded Kuznetsova won the first four games of the match and was one point from going up 5-0.
