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Novak Djokovic, 38, began his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title with a straight-sets victory over American teenager Learner Tien at the US Open on Sunday, despite requiring a medical timeout for a foot blister during the match at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.The Serbian champion secured a 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 win against his 19-year-old unseeded opponent in a match marked by varying momentum.“Great to be back in New York. Quite a strange match to be honest. The first set was 20 minutes, the second set was an hour and 20 minutes. It was a key to me to hold my nerve in the second set. All in all there are positives to take.”“I wish I had Learner Tien’s age — when you come to the late 30s it’s about learning how to preserve the energy for what matters. I still have the flair, I still have the drive, and you guys give me the energy. Hopefully I can keep it going.”
Djokovic has not competed since his Wimbledon semi-final loss last month, choosing to skip ATP Masters events in Toronto and Cincinnati to concentrate on the US Open.The match began with Djokovic dominating the first set with a quick 6-1 victory, showing occasional signs of rust mixed with his trademark brilliant play.
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The second set proved more challenging as Tien showed resilience, nearly breaking Djokovic’s serve when leading 5-4. However, Djokovic held serve to level at 5-5 and won the tiebreak through skilled net play and court coverage.Before the third set, Djokovic took a medical timeout to treat what appeared to be a blister on his right foot.Following the break, Djokovic surged to a 5-1 lead in the final set. Tien managed to save a match point and break Djokovic’s serve to make it 5-2, but the Serbian immediately broke back to claim victory.Djokovic will next face US qualifier Zachary Svajda in the second round.
