The Big Four in men’s tennis are down to a Big Three for this US Open, but are still looking to extend their dominance over the rest of the field. The Serb was serving for the first set at 6-5 but struggled with her serve and faltered in the tiebreaker.
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“It was extremely physical out there”. I am hitting very well the backhand, but it’s true that the forehand I need time.
“This is a big win for me”.
Nadal ran his record in NY first-round contests to 12-0; Istomin has now lost 21 straight matches against top-10 opponents.
The 26-year-old Dane recovered from 0-4 down in the first set to record a seventh win in eight meetings and third in NY over the ninth-seeded Russian.
Canadian Milos Raonic advanced to the second round with a straight sets win over Germany’s Dustin Brown.
Djokovic next faces Jiri Vesely, the Czech who knocked him out of Monte Carlo this year.
The Serbian, who has admitted an injury to his left wrist has also not healed, looked uncomfortable throughout but he did enough to beat Janowicz 6-3 5-7 6-2 6-1.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic is ready to let his racket do the talking about how his body is holding up at this year’s U.S. Open.
She needed courtside treatment from a doctor after dropping the first set.
Myneni, ranked 143 in singles, had a match point in the eighth game of the fifth set but stiffness in the right thigh restricted his movement badly and he was forced out 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-2, 2-6, 5-7 after battling hard for three hours and 47 minutes in a marathon first round match.
After a medical timeout, the Briton dropped the set before heading off on a lengthy toilet break which did little to help her opponent’s composure.
“I’m a little embarrassed”. I’m not a fan of drama. I’m pleased that as the match progressed, I was feeling better and better.
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.
Kerber faces either Shelby Rogers or CiCi Bellis, both of the United States, for a place in the last 16.
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.
Nadal played with his troublesome left wrist heavily bandaged and, while he seemed unrestricted, hitting 14 of his 21 winners off the forehand, the 30-year-old said he still lacks confidence on that side.
In another early match, Britain’s Kyle Edmund, making his US Open debut, upset 13th-seeded Richard Gasquet 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.
Roberta Vinci eased into the second round beating Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-2, 6-4.
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Later yesterday, Spanish fourth seed Rafael Nadal, the 2010 and 2013 champion, takes a 7-1 career record over Italy’s Andreas Seppi into their night time clash.
