Djokovic endures pain on his way to victory
Novak Djokovic double-faulted, then shook his right arm and grimaced.
Seconds later, a weak serve produced a wince, then was followed by a missed forehand that gave away a set in the defending champion’s first-round match at the US Open yesterday.
While he managed to emerge with a 6-3 5-7 6-2 6-1 victory over Jerzy Janowicz, of Poland, there were plenty of signs of trouble, starting with a visit from a trainer who massaged Djokovic’s bothersome arm after only five games.
Asked about his health during an on-court interview, Djokovic deflected the question, saying ‘‘I don’t think it’s necessary to talk about this now. I’m through. I’m taking it day by day’’.
When the subject arose at his news conference, Djokovic again avoided the topic, saying only that the trainer’s visit ‘‘was just prevention; it’s all good.’’
Djokovic hit first serves about 160kmh 40kmh or so below what’s normal for him. He flexed that right arm, the one he has used to wield a racket on the way to 12 grand slam titles, and appeared generally unhappy.
In the stands, Djokovic’s coach, Boris Becker, gnawed on his fingernails, looking nervous as can be.
All in all, Djokovic’s issues figure to loom large as the tournament progresses, and therefore amounted to the most noteworthy development at Flushing Meadows, even if there were results of interest elsewhere.
Those included No 8 seed Madison Keys’ 4-6 7-6 6-2 comeback victory over 60th-ranked Alison Riske in the last match of the night. It finished at 1.48am (local time), well after Keys took a medical timeout while a trainer worked on her right shoulder in the second set, and extended Riske’s grand slam losing streak to 10 matches.
That was one of three intriguing allAmerican contests yesterday. The others were 20th-seeded John Isner’s comeback from two sets down to edge 18-year-old Frances Tiafoe before a rowdy, standingroom-only crowd at the new Grandstand, and 26th-seeded Jack Sock’s five-set victory over another 18-year-old, Taylor Fritz.
More drama, too: A first-round loss by Rio Olympics gold medallist Monica Puig, and French Open champion Garbine Muguruza’s complaints about having trouble breathing after dropping the first set of a match she would go on to win in three.
This was the No 1-ranked Djokovic’s first match at a major since losing to Sam Querrey in the third round of Wimbledon, which ended the Serb’s bid for a calendaryear grand slam after titles at the Australian Open and French Open. He exited the Rio Olympics in the first round this month, then sat out the Cincinnati Masters because of a sore left wrist.
‘‘After all I’ve been through in last couple of weeks, it’s pleasing, of course, to finish the match and win it,’’ said Djokovic, who lost to his next opponent, Jiri Vesely, at Monte Carlo in April. ‘‘Look, each day presents us some kind of challenges that we need to overcome, accept and overcome.’’
Earlier in Arthur Ashe Stadium, Rafael Nadal stood near the net after winning his first grand slam match in three months – 6-1 6-4 6-2 against Denis Istomin – and unravelled the thick wrap of white tape protecting his all-important left wrist. He said he’s still not back to hitting his forehand the way he does when he’s at his best.
The good news for Nadal, he said afterwards, is that the pain is gone from his wrist, which whips those violent, topspinheavy forehands that are the key to his success – 14 of his 21 winners came off that wing. Nadal’s summation of his day: ‘‘Not very good; not very bad.’’