US Open day two review – Djokovic through in thriller
Men’s third seed Novak Djokovic was pushed to five sets in his first-round US Open match against Serbian compatriot Viktor Troicki but has scraped through to the second round.
Djokovic, runner-up at the US Open in 2007, took the first set from his unseeded opponent before Triocki, serving strongly, hit back to claim the next two sets, forcing the world No. 3 to dig deep in the New York heat to take the 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory.
“I've been in those situations [playing in the heat] before, played a lot of long matches in very difficult conditions, feeling very exhausted,” Djokovic told the media afterwards. “You kind of start panicking a little bit when you don't feel great physically. Then your opponent takes the advantage. And it's not easy. Definitely those moments are very challenging for an athlete.
“I just tried to tell myself, hang in there, you know, the chance will come. He will get tired, as well. Under those conditions, in a long match, he did. When I got the chance, I used it. You know, I got the match.”
Also on the winners’ list on day two was top seed Rafael Nadal, who didn’t have things all his way in his 7-6(4), 7-6(4), 6-3 win over Russia’s Teymuraz Gabashvili.
The world No. 1 couldn’t find a way through Gabashvili’s serve in the opening two sets, but then reeled off the final four games of the match to finish in a flurry on centre court last night.
Mardy Fish, America’s form player of the summer, was taken the distance by Jan Hajek on Grandstand court, the 19th seed completing the victory with the strange scoreline of 6-0, 3-6, 4-6, 6-0, 6-1.
“I started out great. I made one unforced error in the first set, entire first set. Played a bad game early in the second and he held, served well, held throughout there,” Fish said post-match. “Next thing you know, you're down two sets to one thinking, you know, maybe you're going home. That's not where I want to be right now, so I was lucky to turn it around and play a little more aggressive. I was playing a little too defensive.”
Another player who was pushed the full five sets was David Nalbandian, the 31st seed eventually overcoming world No. 231 Rik De Voest 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4 in a near four-hour match.
Marcos Baghdatis, however, won’t be around to entertain the crowds in the second round, after French veteran Arnaud Clement won out against the 16th seed in another five-set battle in searing heat in Flushing Meadows on Tuesday. Clement won the match 6-3, 2-6, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.
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