Originally published Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at 10:06 PM

3rd-seeded Novak Djokovic needs 5 sets to reach 2nd round of U.S. Open | Tennis

Novak Djokovic of Serbia fought off stifling heat and one of his Davis Cup teammates in a harder-than-expected first-round victory at the U.S. Open in New York.

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic of Serbia fought off stifling heat and a Davis Cup teammate in a harder-than-expected first-round victory Tuesday at the U.S. Open.

The third-seeded Djokovic beat Viktor Troicki 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 in a 3-hour, 40-minute match at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where temperatures reached the upper 90s on one of the hottest days in recent memory at Flushing Meadows.

Both players were wobbling around the court by the time the match was over and shade enveloped the court, offering a bit of relief on a day when the extreme-heat rules went into effect for the women — allowing a 10-minute break if they split sets — but the men were given no such reprieve.

Djokovic, who has a reputation of struggling in the hottest conditions, trailed 2-1 in sets and was down a break in the fourth, but came back. He got an early break in the fifth and served out the match. The on-court temperature approached 110 degrees.

Earlier, fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia needed a comeback to defeat Simona Halep of Romania 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. Jankovic was down a break at 5-4 in the third set but won the last three games to close out the match.

Russian Maria Sharapova, the 2006 U.S. Open champion, fought back for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over 60th-ranked Jarmila Groth of Australia. Groth made 48 unforced errors, compared with 17 for Sharapova.

Mardy Fish, an American seeded 19th, won in five sets, and countryman James Blake — a fan favorite — needed merely three to reach the second round.

Top-seeded Rafael Nadal of Spain found himself in a surprisingly competitive match but won in straight sets, getting past 93rd-ranked Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 at night. There were two breaks of serve — both by Nadal.

In a match that started at 11:52 p.m. New York time, top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark routed NCAA champion Chelsey Gullickson 6-1, 6-1.

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