Novak Djokovic rallied from a set down to beat American qualifier Zachary Svajda 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to reach the third round. Svajda required frequent physio treatment for a left quad problem and showed signs of struggle from the second set onward, briefly taking a break lead in the third before Djokovic dominated the remainder. Djokovic won 11 of 12 games to close the match in two hours and 31 minutes. Taylor Fritz also recovered from a set down to defeat Lloyd Harris and reach round three. Jack Draper withdrew before his second-round match due to an arm injury.
Djokovic, aiming to win his first grand slam title since winning at Flushing Meadows two years ago, was far from his best in a 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 victory against the young American, who required frequent treatment from the physio throughout Wednesday's four-setter due to a problem in his left quad. Svajda, who was evidently struggling as early as the second set, did manage to go up a break at 3-1 in the third set,
but it was all Djokovic thereafter, with the Serbian winning 11 of the next 12 games to seal victory in two hours and 31 minutes. Svajda showed plenty of promise against the 24-time grand slam champion, but his injuries struggles ultimately forced him to abandon his game in favor of a more aggressive approach. That occasionally brought some eye-catching winners, but more often than not produced wild unforced errors, allowing Djokovic to comfortably secure victory in the end.
Taylor Fritz, who reached the final last year, also battled back from a set down on Wednesday afternoon to reach the third round, beating South Africa's Lloyd Harris 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-4 in a tense battle at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Meanwhile, Britain's Jack Draper, the fifth seed and a semi-finalist at last year's US Open, has withdrawn from this year's competition ahead of a second-round clash with Zizou Bergs on Thursday.
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