New York: All-conquering Novak Djokovic found the going even easier than expected at the US Open on Tuesday, as food poisoning hampered the challenge of first-round opponent Conor Niland but French Open champion Li Na got rude jolt as Romanian teenager Simona Halep knocked her out in straight sets.
Rafael Nadal launched his US Open title defence with a battling 6-3, 7-6 (7/1), 7-5 victory over Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan, but the straight-sets win was anything but straightforward.
Niland, the qualifier from Ireland, ranked 197th in the world, wasn’t expected to pose much problem for Djokovic, who has surged to the top of the world rankings with nine titles this season — including two Grand Slams.
But a bout of food poisoning that lingered from Sunday morning had left the 29-year-old Niland physically weakened, and Djokovic needed just 44 minutes to take a 6-0, 5-1 lead before Niland called it a day.
“I felt great on the court, and that’s something that’s really important for the start of the tournament,” Djokovic said of his abbreviated appearance on the Arthur Ashe stadium.
The quick match may prove a boon for Djokovic, who suffered just his second defeat of the season when he retired from the Cincinnati final against Andy Murray this month with a sore shoulder.
“I don’t think I’m lacking any time on the court or matches,” said Djokovic, who has now won 58 of his 60 matches this year and lifted nine titles. “This year has been a very long year. So I really don’t mind that I spend less time on the court.
“It’s unfortunate for my opponent, obviously. He had food poisoning he told me after the match.”
Romanian teenager Halep stunned Li Na 6-2, 7-5 to enter the second round.
Halep, ranked 53rd in the world, needed just an hour and 33 minutes to dispatch China’s sixth-ranked Li, who became the first Grand Slam champion from Asia with her victory at Roland Garros.
Since that triumph, Li has become a heroine in her homeland, but she has struggled on the court, losing in the second round at Wimbledon to eventual semi-finalist Sabine Lisicki. Her run to the semi-finals at New Haven last week marked the only time she has put back-to-back match wins together since Roland Garros.
Li looked out of sorts from the start, and Halep, 19, took full advantage to notch her first victory over a top-10 player in four attempts.
After taking the opening set, Halep gained an early break to lead 3-1 in the second. Li squandered a golden opportunity when she failed to convert a triple break point in the sixth game. In the end, however, she couldn’t overcome 54 unforced errors — the last a backhand long on match point.
Li’s exit leaves the women’s field without all three of this year’s Grand Slam champions. Australian Open champion Kim Clijsters, winner of the last two US Open titles, is absent with a stomach muscle injury. Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova lost on Monday.
Among others, women’s world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki, defending men’s champion Rafael Nadal and 13-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams.
Wozniacki cruised into the second round with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over 125th-ranked Nuria Llagostera Vives.
While the top-seeded Dane is keen to claim a maiden Grand Slam title, she again bristled at suggestions that she needs a major crown to validate her number one status.
“I think we should move on,” she said as the questions flared again.
“Ask me about something else, something more interesting.”
But the fact remains that while Wozniacki has consolidated her spot atop the rankings with half a dozen titles this season.
The most recent at New Haven on Saturday — she has flopped in Grand Slams, with a semi-final exit in Australia, a third-round defeat at Roland Garros and a fourth-round loss at Wimbledon.
Since then she suffered early exits at Bastad, Toronto and Cincinnati and dropped her father Piotr as her coach.
“Yeah, I’ve gotten a couple of losses, but that’s what happens,” Wozniacki said of her disappointing run.
“I tried a few things that didn’t work out. But I came back last week and won in New Haven, which was a great feeling. I’m No 1 still and I’ve just won a tournament, so I’m feeling fine, I’m feeling good.”
Wozniacki looked good against Llagostera, breaking her for the fourth time to seal the victory and facing just one break point in the match.
Fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus also advanced with ease, beating Sweden’s Johanna Larsson 6-1, 6-3.
“There are always things that could have been done better, but I think I had a pretty solid start,” said Azarenka, who drew the short straw among the top women’s seeds when she was put on a path to a possible third-round clash with Williams.
Williams is seeded just 28 here, after a rankings slide due to her nearly year-long absence with a series of health problems. Williams has nevertheless stamped herself a favorite with two hardcourt victories in the build-up to the Open, and her potential third-round clash with Azarenka was the talk of the draw last week.
Azarenka insisted she wasn’t worrying about Williams just yet. (Agencies)