Rafael Nadal needed nearly three hours to crack the code of Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili with the Spanish top seed beginning the US Open on Tuesday with a fighting 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 win.
The world number one is bidding to complete a career Grand Slam and needs to win a first New York title to do so. Nadal has stalled at the semi-finals for the past two years.
Nadal missed on his early break chances as Gabashvili hung tough, with the Spanish seed finally converting of two from ten, enough to secure the opening win.
“It was a very tough match. He played well,” said the winner. “My serve worked well tonight. I hope it continues like this.
“It’s not my best shot but I’m trying to improve it if I ever want to win a title here in any year.
Novak Djokovic struggled with 42-Celsius heat on his way to ousting fellow Serb Viktor Troicki 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3, taking almost four hours.
The third seed had to overcome 23 aces from his compatriot and Davis Cup teammate Troicki, who committed nearly 60 unforced errors.
“I’ve been in those situations before, a long match in very difficult conditions, feeling very exhausted,” said the winner. “You start panicking a little bit when you don’t feel great physically.
“Then your opponent takes the advantage -- it’s not easy. Those moments are very challenging for an athlete. But I overcame it once again, this is what matters most to me.” Two more Spanish seeds moved through, with number eight Fernando Verdasco ending a five-set battle 1-6, 7-5, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 over Italian Fabio Fognini. David Ferrer, the number 10, defeated Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.
Women’s former number one Jelena Jankovic survived a patchy effort against Romanian outsider Simona Halep, winning 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.
Jankovic, who reached the 2008 New York final, is well off her best form, winning just one of four hard—court matches this summer.
She also retired in two matches.
The seed flirted with disaster as the teenaged Halep came within two points of an upset as she served up 5-4 in the final set before Jankovic steadied, breaking just in time for 5-all.
Jankovic has been bothered by recent ankle injuries and has yet to find her comfort zone on the cement. She will have to regroup for her next match against Croatian qualifier Mirjana Lucic, who beat Australian Alicia Molik 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.
“She didn’t really make many mistakes, and I really had to work for every point. I wasn’t playing my best tennis. I was just trying to find my rhythm out there and trying to do my best to get through,” Jankovic said.
Former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova put out Japanese veteran Kimiko Date Krumm, aged 39 with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 scoreline.
Kuznetsova won the Flushing Meadows title in 2004 and played the final three years later. The Russian put in a first half of the season to forget, finally snapping a 10-month title drought with the San Diego crown earlier in August.
The 2006 winner Maria Sharapova needed a fightback as the 14th seed reached the second round over Australian Jarmila Groth 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
“Days like this where your opponent is playing really well, you really have to find ways to hang in there and ways to fight,” said the LA-based Russian. At the end of the day, just hope you give yourself another opportunity “I know I wasn’t playing my best tennis, but I came out with a win. Sometimes it’s more important than anything because you’re giving yourself a chance to go out on the practice court tomorrow.” Polish ninth seed Agnieszka Radwanska advanced over Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-4, 6-3, while 15th-seeded Belgian Yanina Wickmayer, a 2009 semi—finalist, beat Russian Alla Kudryavtseva 6-1, 6-2.
Kateryna Bondarenko upset China’s eighth seed Li Na 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
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