Djokovic able to move on
No. 1 seed gets off to a painful start but is able to beat Janowicz
NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic double-faulted, then shook his right arm and grimaced.
Seconds later Monday night, a weak serve produced a wince from the U.S. Open’s defending champion, then was followed by a missed forehand that gave away a set — the first set dropped by Djokovic in the first round of any Grand Slam tournament since 2010.
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 addressing the topic, saying
U.S. OPEN
No. 1 Novak Djokovic def. Jerzy Janowicz 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1; No. 4 Rafael Nadal def. Denis Istomin 6-1, 6-4, 6-2; No. 7 Marin Cilic def. Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-4, 7-5, 6-1. the trainer’s visit “was just prevention; it’s all good.”
During the match, Djokovic hit first serves around 100 mph, sometimes slower — 25 mph or so below what’s normal for him. He hit second serves in the low 80s mph. 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, covering his head with a white towel at changeovers.
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 were the No. 2 Andy Murray vs. Lukas Rosol; No. 3 Stan Wawrinka vs. Fernando Verdasco; No. 6 Kei Nishikori vs. Benjamin Becker. most noteworthy development on a Day 1 at Flushing Meadows that did include drama elsewhere.
There was 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 26thseeded Jack Sock’s five-set victory over 18-year-old Taylor Fritz in another allAmerican matchup.
More, too: A first-round loss by Rio Olympics gold medalist 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.
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 unraveled the thick wrap of white tape protecting his allimportant left wrist. He said he’s still not back to hitting his forehand the way he does when he’s at his best.
Nadal’s afternoon match was played with the new $150 million retractable roof open under a blue sky, while offering some extra shade on a day when the temperature reached 90 degrees. The good news for Nadal, he said afterward, is that the pain is gone from his wrist, which whips those violent, topspin-heavy forehands that are the key to his success — 14 of his 21 winners came off that wing.
He still is working on feeling comfortable hitting down-the-line forehands, in particular, after sitting out from his withdrawal at the French Open in late May to the Olympics.
Seventeen-year-old n CiCi Bellis of Atherton won her first-round match, beating Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland 6-2, 6-3. Bellis, who will attend Stanford starting in the fall of 2017, next plays Shelby Rogers on Wednesday.