TORONTO: Novak Djokovic was given a scare in his North American hardcourt season opener but managed to prevail with a 7-5 7-6(3) victory over Luxembourg's Gilles Mueller on Wednesday to reach the third round of the Rogers Cup.
Djokovic, playing his first match since his shock third-round Wimbledon loss to American Sam Querrey, fell behind 3-1 in the tie-break before switching gears and winning the next six points to seal the win in one hour, 43 minutes.
"It's tough playing the first hardcourt match since March. It was hot and that made the ball move very fast," said Djokovic. "It was hard to control, it was not easy to play. But I managed to stay tough."
The Serbian world number one, a three-times winner of the Canadian Masters event, will next play Czech qualifier Radek Stepanek, a 7-6(5) 6-4 winner over Canadian wildcard Peter Polansky.
Querrey, whose Wimbledon run came to an end with a quarter-finals loss to eventual runner-up Milos Raonic, could not pen a similar script as he retired from his second-round clash with Belgian seventh seed David Goffin while trailing 6-4 2-1.
Japanese third seed Kei Nishikori beat American qualifier Dennis Novikov 6-4 7-5, ninth seed John Isner fell 7-6(3) 6-7(4) 6-4 to American Ryan Harrison and Canadian fourth seed Raonic beat Taiwan's Lu Yen-hsun 6-3 6-3.
For Raonic, who grew up in a Toronto suburb, the match was his first since losing the Wimbledon final to Britain's Andy Murray and he soaked up the warm reception from fans.
"I don't get to play here in Toronto very much," Raonic said. "I can't wait to come back out here tomorrow."
Kansas City Chiefs player and wife are on vacation to celebrate friends birthday
Skipper says 180 to 190 is "par score" in Rawalpindi, stressing that Green Shirts "did well" in third T20I
Both sides to take on each other in remaining two matches to be played in Lahore on 25th and 27th
The Al Nassr player has always maintained a clean-shaven look
Right-arm pacer has been out of action for months owing to his elbow injury and subsequent surgery last year
Inter Miami owner celebrates wife Victoria's 50th birthday