The wrist was the issue coming in, but when Djokovic called for the ATP World Tour trainer to work on his arm during that first-round match, more red flags were raised.
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Australian Open victor Kerber rifled home an ace to finish the first set against the free swinging, 34-year-old Lucic-Baroni, then won a see-saw second set in which each player was broken three times on the way to a tiebreaker.
The fifth-seeded Raonic was treated by a trainer for problems with his left wrist and left thigh during Wednesday’s match and generally looked tired as play went on.
The Romanian was ahead 6-0, 5-0 with countrywoman Nadia Comaneci cheering her on. The Spaniard won 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 but not before she needed courtside treatment from a doctor after dropping the first set.
Kerber powered through her first set in 27 minutes before cruising to a 6-love 1-love win after the 120th-ranked Slovenian retired because of leg cramps.
The Flushing Meadows complex has been radically and expensively remodelled for this year.
The 2011 U.S. Open champion needed three sets against Giorgi, who had an ace to win the second-set tiebreaker.
Last year’s surprise finalist in the women’s tournament, Roberta Vinci, sailed past her first-round opponent Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany 6-2 6-4. Konta said her heart was racing and she had trouble breathing.
Raonic was not the only player to struggle physically on a day the temperature was in the mid-80s. But it was then that he took a medical timeout as cramps in his right thigh started to bother him.
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Rio Olympics bronze medalist and 2014 U.S. Open runner-up Kei Nishikori has avoided what would have been his fourth first-round exit in his past six appearances at Flushing Meadows.
A title at the US Open would make Djokovic only the second player in the Open era – joining? You just practice, like, 45 minutes. She got 69 percent of her first serves in and won 12 of 15 points at the net.
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.
Ana Ivanovic is out of the U.S. Open in the first round for the second straight year after a 7-6 (4), 6-1 loss to Denisa Allertova of the Czech Republic. He had 38 aces Wednesday, when he received treatment on his right knee and for blisters on his foot.
Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska and Romania’s No. 5 Simona Halep are also in action, against American Jessica Pegula and Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens respectively.
Novak Djokovic will move on to the third round of the U.S. Open after his opponent withdrew before their match because of injury. The top-ranked Djokovic had faced a potentially tricky matchup with Jiri Vesely, who defeated him last spring in their only meeting. But a couple of hours before they would have taken the court, Vesely pulled out because of a left forearm inflammation.
Fritz, last year’s U.S. Open boys singles champ, is ranked a career-best 53rd.
The woman who surprised Serena Williams in the semifinals on the way to a runner-up finish in 2015, Roberta Vinci, moved into the third round for the sixth consecutive year, defeating Christina McHale of the US 6-1, 6-3.
However, it was not so easy for Roland Garros victor Garbine Muguruza who needed a doctor and three sets to get past Belgian qualifier Elise Mertens.
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But that notion has turned around at least for the time being, even after his first win at the US Open on Monday. Then, while briefly working with John McEnroe, he beat Roger Federer in the semifinals at the All England Club in July to reach his first Grand Slam final.
