Djokovic was treated for a sore left shoulder throughout his 6-4, 7-6, 6-1 victory over Argentina's 56th-ranked Juan Ignacio Londero. "It was definitely affecting my serve and backhand," Djokovic said of his shoulder injury
Serbian Novak Djokovic receives treatment for a shoulder injury on Wednesday. Pic/AFP
New York: Top-ranked defending champion Novak Djokovic fought through shoulder pain to reach the third round of the rain-hit US Open on Wednesday while Roger Federer shook off another slow start to advance.
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Djokovic was treated for a sore left shoulder throughout his 6-4, 7-6, 6-1 victory over Argentina's 56th-ranked Juan Ignacio Londero. "It was definitely affecting my serve and backhand," Djokovic said of his shoulder injury.
Swiss Roger Federer returns to Bosnian Damir Dzumhur during their US Open second round match in New York on Wednesday. Pic/AFP
"I was tested. This is something I've been carrying for quite a while now," Djokovic said. "It wasn't easy to play with the pain, but you have to hope you will get some opportunities and some lucky shots. "It's not the first time I'm facing this kind of adversity or challenge. It is what it is and I'm just grateful to be on the court."
Meanwhile, Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam winner seeking his first US Open crown since 2008, rallied to beat 99th-ranked Bosnian Damir Dzumhur 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4. The Swiss third seed, who also dropped the first set against Indian qualifier Sumit Nagal in his opener, answered the wake-up call after conceding the first set with 17 unforced errors.
"When it happens like this, back-to-back matches, it's a bit frustrating more than anything, especially when the level is that low and there is that many errors and the energy is not kind of there," Federer said. "But can only do better, which is a great thing moving forward," he added.
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