Don’t write off Djokovic yet, says coach

Depending on who you listen to, Novak Djokovic is either physically or mentally shot and has no chance of defending his US Open title this fortnight, writes Simon Cambers.

The Serb, beaten early at Wimbledon and the Olympics and troubled by injury and personal problems this summer, did little to suggest he should be favourite with a patchy fourset win over Jerzy Janowicz of Poland on Monday night.

The left-wrist issue that he picked up just before Rio has been improving, he says, but he also required treatment to a right-elbow problem early in the match before finally pulling away in the fourth set.

Rumours of trouble in his personal life continue to dog Djokovic but the Serb remains the world No.1 and the man most likely to deny Andy Murray in his quest to win a fourth grand slam title.

Coach to the stars, Nick Bollettieri, the man responsible for a string of world No.1s, said it was too early to write off Djokovic.

“He certainly [looks] a little different,” Bollettieri told Herald Sport. “I don’t see the confidence that he had but don’t discount Djokovic.

“He and Agassi are two of the greatest returners ever and when you don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes it’s tough to say anything.

“I wouldn’t discount him but Murray is playing unbelievable and there are others, [Kei] Nishikori, [Milos] Raonic, [Marin] Cilic behind.”

It is less than three months since Djokovic completed the career grand slam by winning the French Open for his fourth consecutive grand slam title.

Having lost in the third round at Wimbledon soon after, he won the title in Toronto only to follow it with a first-round loss to Juan Martin del Potro at the Olympics, where the left-wrist issue flared up.

The good news for Djokovic, who plays the Czech, Jiri Vesely in round two today, is that he felt like he was improving as the match went on against Janowicz.

“I thought I did well in the third and fourth sets to bounce back from the dropped second set,” he said.