US Open: Novak Djokovic battles past Jerzy Janowicz in four sets despite wrist and elbow injuries
The world No 1 admitted he wasn't 100 per cent after a first-round struggle to open his title defence
NOVAK DJOKOVIC won his first battle but looks like losing the war.
Jerzy Janowicz was too sloppy, erratic and out of practice to take advantage of Djokovic being hampered by a problem with his right elbow on top of his wrist injury.
But when the world No 1 was not grimacing in pain during a four-set victory, he wore the haunted expression of a champion who knows his hopes of winning the US Open again are slim to none.
Djokovic tried to deflect questions about his physical wellbeing by singing a snatch of one of the biggest hits of Phil Collins, who had performed as part of the ceremony before the first night session at the revamped Arthur Ashe Stadium.
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When pressed, he said: “It’s never easy to play at this level throughout the year.
“There are periods of the year when you are not feeling 100 per cent.
“I don’t think it’s necessary to talk about this now.
“I’m through. I’m just glad to overcome this day.
“Let’s keep on moving.”
Djokovic has fooled everyone before, of course, into believing he is physical and mentally spent, including Andy Murray in that notorious Australian Open final in 2015.
But the joylessness of his 6-3 5-7 6-2 6-1 victory seemed genuine, as did the concern on the face of head coach Boris Becker and the rest of his team, including wife Jelena.
It was a strange and uncomfortable spectacle, a poor match in which Djokovic’s will rather than his skill won the day.
The question is whether the Serb can somehow regather his strength and find a way past better opponents than Janowicz.
Djokovic showed true grit simply to come through the match.
He had the trainer on after just five games to treat his right arm, apparently for the same discomfort he had felt during his run to the Rogers Cup title in Toronto last month.
In the following game, Djokovic broke serve and went on to serve out the opening set.
Janowicz had missed a host of break point chances though, and finally took one in the sixth game of the second, only to play a wretched game and allow Djokovic to peg him back.
But it was game on when the Serb missed chances of his own and then gave up his own serve to lose a set in the first round of a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2010 US Open.
Janowicz has had his own injury problems so some rustiness was understandable. But the Pole played a really poor third set, losing his serve in the first game to yield the momentum and continuing to make basic errors.
Djokovic was serving at three quarter speed, but cleverly enough to maintain his advantage.
When the Serb broke Janowicz from 40/0 down in the opening game of the fourth, it looked almost certain he would live to fight another day.
The Pole missed two chances to break back immediately and the match slipped away from him quickly.