Novak Djokovic continued the defence of his US Open title with a 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 win over Juan Ignacio Londero on Tuesday night but there will be concerns over his fitness as he struggled with a shoulder injury.
With the rain pouring outside the Arthur Ashe Stadium – rain that halted all but a few points on every court outside of the main arenas – Djokovic and Londero locked horns under the roof, delivering high-quality tennis in a competitive first set.
Djokovic went down an early break and had just earned it back before moving 4-3 in front when he called for the trainer, requiring a massage on the problem area.
His team looked on in a concerned manner from the stands, despite Djokovic smiling as he received treatment, and he popped a painkiller to provide some relief.
Although Djokovic went on to take the set in quick fashion, the trainer returned to the court before the world No. 1 was immediately broken at the start of the second.
A double break followed but the 32-year-old began loosening up and reeled off four games on the spin to get his nose back in front before moving two sets up in the tiebreak.
From then on, it was all Djokovic but he admitted the shoulder was a major worry.
‘I’m probably gonna freeze my arm for 48 hours and see how it goes,’ he joked after the match.
‘It was definitely affecting my serve and backhand, but look I don’t want to talk about it too much.
‘I want to congratulate Londero for showing a great fighting spirit and playing some great tennis tonight. It’s a straight-sets win but it was definitely a very difficult match to play. A lot of rallies, especially in the first couple of sets.’
Djokovic will meet either Denis Kudla or compatriot Dusan Lajovic in round three.
