Hot start: Djokovic survives 1st round
NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic appeared to be in such distress as he trudged to a changeover on a steamy U.S. Open afternoon that someone suggested it would be a good idea to have a trash can at the ready, in case he lost his lunch.
He was not even 1 ⁄2 hours into his first match at Flushing Meadows in two years, and while Djokovic eventually would get past Marton Fucsovics 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 Tuesday, it was an ordeal.
“Survival mode,” Djokovic called it.
With the temperature topping 95 degrees, nearly everything became a struggle on Day 2 of the U.S. Open, so much so that no fewer than six quit their matches, with at least four citing cramps or heat exhaustion.
About 2 hours into the day’s schedule, the U.S. Tennis Association decided to do something it never had at this tournament: offer men the chance to take a 10-minute break before the fourth set if a match went that far. That is similar to the existing rule for women, which allows for 10 minutes of rest before a third set when there is excessive heat.
“At the end of the day, the ATP or a lot of the supervisors, they’re kind of sitting in their offices, (with) an A.C. system on, where it’s cool. And we have to be out there. They tell us it’s fine; they’re not the ones playing,” said No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev, who won in straight sets. “There should be a certain temperature, certain conditions where we shouldn’t be playing.” How bad was it? “Brutal,” said Marin Cilic, who advanced when his opponent retired in the third set.
“Everything is boiling — in your body, the brain, everything,” Djokovic said.
Djokovic was appreciative for the chance to recover after the third set. He even took about a minute for a quick ice bath — as did Fucsovics, nearby.
“Naked in the ice baths, next to each other,” Djokovic said. “It was quite a magnificent feeling, I must say.”