Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: In his first competitive outing since Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic saw off a challenging opening-round test presented by Learner Tien in the opening round of the US Open. Djokovic navigated fluctuations in his own physical level and held off the increasingly confident teenager to prevail, 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-2.
The 24-time- major winner called ATP physio Clay Sniteman to court after the second set to re-apply tape to a bloodied big toe on his right foot. Earlier in the match he appeared to be troubled by a hip issue and also pulled his racquet behind his head on several occasions, perhaps in an attempt to suck in more oxygen, ATP reports.
Djokovic, looking for his first major title since winning his fourth US Open in 2023, will now have two days’ rest before facing American qualifier Zachary Svajda.
Trailing 0-40 in the sixth game, Djokovic escaped with a hold and was later forced to save a set point in the 10th game. He was struggling, but his famed fighting spirit and resilience were intact, helping him snare the ensuing tiebreak and an invaluable two-set lead. Set two saw Djokovic’s unforced error count spike five times higher than set one, but after a medical timeout to treat a blister on his toe, he was flying again in the third. From an immediate break down, the seventh seed reeled off five straight games to take a stranglehold over the match, which he closed out in two hours, 25 minutes.
