Share

U.S. Open: Novak Djokovic advances with painful first-round win

The $150 million retractable roof is expected to help organisers deal with the rain delays that have often plagued the final Grand Slam event on the tennis calendar, reports Efe.

Advertisement

Federer, the victor of a record 17 majors and a five-time champion in NY, shut down his season to rest a knee injury which was aggravated in a semi-final loss at Wimbledon. Of course, this will be the first time they meet on hard court.

Djokovic came into the year’s last major with a wrist injury, yet seems to have concerns over his arm at Flushing Meadows. “I played against Del Potro, who unfortunately was absent from the tour for the wrist injury himself”.

Up 3-2 in the opening set, Djokovic called for a medical time out during the changeover as Janowicz took a seat in the stands while the world number one had his forearm massaged.

“It’s not the same when you don’t have Roger for the tournament, for the fans”.

So what did he think of Nadal’s play Monday?

“There is no doubt that every tournament is missing him”.

The only other British player in action on the first day was Kyle Edmund, who makes his way into shock of the day.

He’d lost five straight Grand Slam matches dating to the 2013 U.S. Open before Tuesday.

Earlier, Jack Sock withstood Taylor Fritz’s repeated comebacks to win the second five-set match between American men Monday at the U.S. Open.

Nadal hadn’t played at a major since winning his second-round match at the French Open on May 26. “That’s very important thing for me, the most important thing”. Injuries are part of the career.

Asked about his fitness problems on court after the match, Djokovic said: “It’s never easy to play at this level throughout the year”. Raonic, of Thornhill, Ont., fired 15 aces to Brown’s two and totalled 41 winners en route to the 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 victory. In his second match back after a 2 1/2-month layoff, Nadal won that day 6-3, 6-3. However, he needed treatment in the first set for an arm issue that he shrugged off.

Angelique Kerber, of Germany, returns a shot to Polona Hercog, of Slovenia, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Monday, Aug. 29, 2016, in NY.

Venus and Serena Williams are among the featured matches on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the U.S. Open. Fellow Spaniard Garbine Muguruza, the French Open champ, faces 48th-ranked Anastasija Sevastova to open the session.

Puig, who became the first person from her country to win the gold medal when she upset Angelique Kerber in the final in Rio, went down to China’s Zheng Saisai, who had beaten Agnieszka Radwanska in the first round of the same tournament.

World No.2 Kerber powered through her first set in 27 minutes before logging a 6-0, 1-0 victory when 120th-ranked Polona Hercog of Slovenia retired because of leg cramps. Kerber, the reigning Australian Open champion, whitewashed the first set 6-0 before world No 120 Hercog quit after losing the opening game of the second set.

Advertisement

He took just over two-and-a-half hours to defeat former Wimbledon semi-finalist Jerzy Janowicz, who has struggled with injuries and poor form in the three years since, in four gruelling sets.

Djokovic does his best Phil Collins impersonation