Federer shrugs off sluggish start to defeat Dzumhur as Nishikori marches on
Roger Federer overcame another sluggish start to cruise into the third round of the US Open.
The five-time Flushing Meadows champion dropped the first set for the second successive match but beat world No 99 Damir Dzumhur in four.
Federer, who lost the opening set to Indian qualifier Sumit Nagal in the first round, was broken in his first service game thanks to a wayward volley and a loose forehand into the net.
Bosnian Dzumhur then secured an unlikely double break to take a 4-0 lead on his way to wrapping up the first set.
The drama almost turned into a crisis as Federer faced a break point in the second, but he survived a long, tense rally to come out unscathed. From then on the champion took control, levelling the match courtesy of a couple of Dzumhur double faults.
Dzumhur gave Federer few more problems and the 38-year-old wrapped up a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 win in two hours and 22 minutes.
“I buckled down and told myself to stay tough and hang with him,” said Federer afterwards. “That will help my confidence for the next match.”
Dzumhur had said before the match: “He was my idol. He was a person out of the court and on the court I was following... He was definitely, for me, the best player in tennis history. If I play a really good game, I can always make trouble for any player.”
Earlier seventh seed Kei Nishikori beat American Bradley Klahn.
The 29-year-old from Japan, a finalist in New York in 2014, won 6-2, 4-6 , 6-3, 7-5.