NEW YORK – Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal are seemingly not the only ones sick of the sight of Novak Djokovic and his domination of men’s tennis.
At the US Open on Tuesday, food poisoning victim Conor Niland of Ireland threw up then gave up during his first-round match with the world number one.Perhaps the only thing in professional tennis looking more under the weather right now is the state of the women’s game. After just two days at Flushing Meadows, not one reigning grand slam singles champion is left in the draw.Kim Clijsters, who won the US Open last year and the Australian Open earlier this year, did not attempt to defend her title because of a stomach muscle problem.On Monday, Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, made an inglorious early exit and was joined a day later by China’s Li Na, the French Open winner.It is little wonder that Serena Williams, less than a month away from turning 30 and in the early stages of a comeback after surviving a life-threatening lung disorder, has been installed as the favourite to win the last grand slam of the year.In the last match of Tuesday’s night session, the American sent an ominous warning to her rivals when she began her campaign with a 6-1 6-1 win over Serbia’s Bojana Jovanovski.Niland lasted only 44 minutes before he tossed in the towel against Djokovic. He was trailing 6-0 5-1 and already looking as green as the fluffy balls he was frantically trying to retrieve.The first Irishman to play at the US Open, he did at least have a valid excuse. He was suffering from food poisoning after eating a meal of pork and salad at a fancy Manhattan restaurant.’I thought I could bluff my way through but you can’t do that against the number one in the world, I just found out,’ Niland said.It was not a fair contest anyway. Djokovic, his appetite for more grand slam titles still driving him, was in a ruthless mood and showing little charity to his ailing opponent.He showed no ill effects of the shoulder injury that forced him to quit last week’s Cincinnati final against Andy Murray but was glad to get an early mark on a hot and sunny afternoon at Flushing Meadows. – Nampa-Reuters
