Defending champion Novak Djokovic battled through a shoulder injury to make the US Open third round with a win over Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Londero.
Djokovic struggled with both his serve and backhand during a 6-4 7-6(3) 6-1 win over Argentine Juan Ignacio Londero۔
Later said his left shoulder had been bothering him for weeks with the pain getting worse during the match.
“It was definitely affecting my serve and my backhand,” said Djokovic, who lost his serve five times.
“It was not easy to play with this kind of sensation, to be honest. I did not experience that too many times in my career,” said Djokovic.
Fellow Serb Dusan Lajovic will be Djokovic’s next opponent if he beats American Denis Kudla.
Up next for Djokovic, who has won four of the last five majors, will be either fellow Serbian Dusan Lajovic, the 27th seed, or American Denis Kudla, who were unable to play their match earlier because of inclement weather.
Djokovic said he would have the injury assessed on Thursday and hoped to be pain-free for his match on Friday.
