01/09/2010 09:32 CEST - US Open

Seeds do it tough on day two

Djokovic

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wo-time US Open semi-finalist Rafael Nadal knocked out Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia in a tight 7-6(4), 7-6(4), 6-3 victory in just under three hours on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The top seed was worked hard by a gritty Gabashvili who sent 49 winners past Nadal. The Spanish No.1 only managed to break the 93rd-ranked Russian’s serve in the third set. After earning his first break in the seventh game, Nadal claimed his second break of the match in the final game after Gabashvili hit a forehand wide handing Nadal the win.
Awaiting Nadal in the second round is big-serving Uzbekistani Denis Istomin.
World No.3 Novak Djokovic survived a first round scare against countryman Viktor Troicki, winning their opening round match 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 in three hours and 40 minutes.
The third seed cruised through the first set before the world No.47 won the next two. Troicki, who hit 23 aces and 66 winners, led 3-1 in the fourth set but his compatriot managed to break back in the sixth and 12th games to force the match into a deciding fifth set.
Djokovic, the 2007 finalist, overcame the scorching on-court temperatures which reached 43 degrees to overcome his Davis Cup team mate to set up second round clash against German Philipp Petzschner.
“I’ve been in those situations before, played a lot of long matches in very difficult conditions, feeling very exhausted,” Djokovic said post-match.
“You kind of start panicking a little bit when you don’t feel great physically. Then your opponent takes the advantage. Definitely those moments are very challenging for an athlete. But I overcame it and that’s what matters most to me.”
Eighth seed Fernando Verdasco outlasted Italian Fabio Fognini 1-6, 7-5, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 and will next face Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.
In-form American Mardy Fish battled past Jan Hajek of the Czech Republic 6-0, 3-6, 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 in two hours and 31 minutes.
The 19th seed won 12 of the last 13 games and fired 24 aces past the world No.82 to set up a meeting with Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay.
Fish, 28, who has won 17 of his past 19 matches, said he felt comfortable under the hot conditions as he has had perfect preparation over the American summer hardcourt season.
“This is probably the hottest it’s gonna be here,” he said. “But from what we went through this summer, particularly in Atlanta, it’s not even close… No humidity, so it just feels nice.”
Returning to Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2008, No.31 seed David Nalbandian won a gruelling 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4 battle against South African qualifier Rik De Voest in a tick under four hours. The Argentine, who missed 18 months on the tour, is up against Frenchman Florent Serra in round two.

Marcos Baghdatis was the first major casualty in the men's tournament after he suffered a disappointing loss to Frenchman Arnaud Clement 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 4-6, 5-7.
The No.16 seed led 3-1 in the fifth set but could not hold as the former Australian Open finalist broke back and held to level the set 3-3 en route to clinching the win in three hours and 27 minutes.
Also making early exits were 24th seed Ernests Gulbis and 30th seed Juan Monaco who lost to Frenchman Jeremy Chardy and Canadian qualifier Peter Polansky respectively.
There were no problems for 10th seed David Ferrer of Spain as he brushed aside Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 while countryman Feliciano Lopez, the 23rd seed, was a straight-sets winner over Colombian Santiago Giraldo 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
In other matches, American veteran James Blake progressed to the next round with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win over Kristof Vliegen of Belgium while local hope Robby Ginepri was ousted by Argentine Eduardo Schwank 6-4, 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3.
Tuesday, 31 August
Singles - First Round
[1] R Nadal (ESP) vs T Gabashvili (RUS)
[3] N Djokovic (SRB) d V Troicki (SRB) 63 36 26 75 63
[8] F Verdasco (ESP) d F Fognini (ITA) 16 75 61 46 63
[10] D Ferrer (ESP) d A Dolgopolov (UKR) 62 62 63
A Clement (FRA) d [16] M Baghdatis (CYP) 63 26 16 64 75
[19] M Fish (USA) d J Hajek (CZE) 60 36 46 60 61
[23] F Lopez (ESP) d S Giraldo (COL) 64 64 64
J Chardy (FRA) d [24] E Gulbis (LAT) 62 76(1) 64
J Benneteau (FRA) d [28] R Stepanek (CZE) 64 62 46 64
P Polansky (CAN) d [30] J Monaco (ARG) 62 76(5) 63 
[31] D Nalbandian (ARG) d R De Voest (RSA) 76(4) 36 64 67 64 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 
J Blake (USA) d K Vliegen (BEL) 63 62 64
E Schwank (ARG) d Robby Ginepri (USA) 64 76(3) 46 63
D Istomin (UZB) d M Gonzalez (ARG) 75 75 61
T Robredo (ESP) d L Rosol (CZE) 64 63 61
D Gimeno-Traver (ESP) d J Nieminen (FIN) 76(1) 64 63
B Becker (GER) d D Brands (GER) 6(1) 76(5) 64
B Paire (FRA) d R Schuettler (GER) 63 63 46 36 76(2)
F Serra (FRA) d F Mayer (GER) 75 62 60
P Petzschner (GER) d D Lojda (CZE) 63 61 61
A Mannarino (FRA) d P Riba (ESP) 36 61 64 46 76(1)
P Cuevas (URU) d J Silva (BRA) 76(0) 61 62

Vanessa Skendaris