Novak Djokovic (Photo : Getty Images)
Novak Djokovic will attempt to realign his dominance at the US Open when he meets Czech Jiri Vesely in the second round of the tournament at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Wednesday.
Djokovic reached Round of 64 of the 2016 US Open, but was far from his best form after dropping a set in his win against Jerzy Janowicz. Djokovic struggled in his 6-3 5-7 6-2 6-1 victory over Janowicz, adding a right elbow issue to the left wrist injury that contributed to his decline in recent months.
The top seed Djokovic called a medical timeout and asked for the trainer to work on his right arm only five games into the opening set before committing crucial double fault in the clutch moments of the second set.
Against Vesely, Djokovic will hope to channel his best form that earned him his first career Grand Slam, including two majors this year. But the 23-year-old from Czech Republic may steal the spotlight from Djokovic once again when the two meet on the hard court.
Djokovic lost his only match against Vesely at the Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco, a Round of 32 stunner that paved way for Rafael Nadal to win the tournament. While Vesely has the lead in their FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup, Djokovic is confident about his chances to advance into the third round.
"Different surface, different circumstances, best-of-five," Djokovic said, reports The Guardian. "But still, Vesely deserves respect. He's somebody that has been kind of trying to break through as the next generation."
"Obviously he hasn't played many times on the Arthur [Ashe] Stadium. If you get to play there, it's quite different. I like playing there, especially with the roof construction. Conditions are quite suitable to my style."
If Djokovic wins, he continues his title defense against Argentine Guido Pella or Russia's Mikhail Youzhny. Pella defeated American Bjorn Fratangelo 6-3 6-4 6-4, while Youzhny cruised past 28th seed Martin Klizan 6-2 6-1 6-1.
Live streaming info and score updates
Watch US Open 2016: Novak Djokovic vs Jiri Vesely live via WatchESPN or visit the US Open's official website. Live scores will be available during game days at the US Open's official website.
