Flying start

NEW YORK, September 1

Novak Djokovic got his campaign to win a fourth US Open, and 18th Grand Slam title overall, off to a flying start yesterday by beating Damir Dzumhur 6-1 6-4 6-1 to advance to the second round.

Djokovic broke Dzumhur’s serve for a seventh time to seal the win in the first night match on Arthur Ashe Stadium court, which, due to Covid-19, was missing the thousands of rowdy New York tennis fans that usually flock to Queens every year.

After a dominant start, Djokovic struggled in the second set and lost his temper even after closing it out.

“I thought I started very well, a set and a break (up) then things got complicated,” a masked Djokovic said in courtside interview. “I lost my focus, he started missing less and he put some good variety in the game… it was anybody’s game midway through the second set.”

In the end, Dzumhur had no answer to the world No. 1’s blistering serve and stout defence.

‘Awkward’

Serbian Djokovic said the behaviour of some members of his support staff during his victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Dzumhur had left him feeling a “bit strange” due to the friendship between the two players. “Sometimes you don’t want your box to clap when your opponent makes a mistake. Damir is a very good friend and it was a little bit awkward,” Djokovic said.

‘Feel fine’

Djokovic, who won his fourth title of the year at the Western & Southern Open on Saturday, has improved to 24-0 in the season. Djokovic’s health had been a question coming into the match after he needed treatment on his neck last week but he said he had recovered. “I feel fine, to be honest I did struggle a bit in the semis and final back-to-back but I had 48 hours to recover,” said Djokovic.

— Reuters

Day 1 HIGHLIGHTS

Coco KNOCKED OUT

Coco Gauff, 16, was eliminated in the opening round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career as Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova beat her 6-3 5-7 6-4.

ZVEREV serves it hot

Fifth seed Alexander Zverev (in pic) got through a tricky first-round encounter against 2017 finalist Kevin Anderson, winning 7-6(2) 5-7 6-3 7-5. Anderson fired 20 aces to Zverev’s 18 but the South African, who returned after a series of injuries, was no match for the German’s groundstrokes.

Pliskova wins

Top seed Karolina Pliskova beat Anhelina Kalinina 6-4 6-0 to move into Round 2.

Other results

Men’s singles

Stefanos Tsitsipas bt Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-2 6-1 6-1; Steve Johnson bt John Isner 6-7(5) 6-3 6-7(5) 6-3 7-6(3); David Goffin bt Reilly Opelka 7-6(2) 3-6 6-1 6-4; Denis Shapovalov bt Sebastian Korda 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-2; Cameron Norrie bt Diego Schwartzman 3-6 4-6 6-2 6-1 7-5

Women’s singles

Petra Martic bt Tereza Martincova 5-7 6-2 6-4; Anett Kontaveit bt Danielle Collins 5-7 6-2 6-2; Petra Kvitova bt Irina-Camelia Begu 6-3 6-2; Angelique Kerber bt Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4 6-4

Osaka allays injury fears

Japan’s Naomi Osaka showed no signs of discomfort from the injury that forced her to miss a final on Saturday but the former US Open champion had to dig deep to beat compatriot Misaki Doi 6-2 5-7 6-2 in her opener. A left hamstring injury had forced Osaka to withdraw from the Western & Southern Open final. “The leg felt relatively good. It was still a little bit sore … But then during the match, it slowly got a little bit worse. For the most part I’m managing,” Osaka said.

Racial injustice

Osaka (in pic) says she wants to spread awareness about racial injustice after the 22-year-old walked onto court with a mask bearing the name of Breonna Taylor. Osaka, who moved to the US as a three-year-old, has seven separate masks with her and hopes to wear a different one at each stage on her path to the final. The mask she wore was dedicated to Taylor, a Black woman killed by police officers who burst into her apartment in March. Reuters