New York—World number one Novak Djokovic withdrew from doubles Sunday at the Western & Southern Open in New York, citing neck pain.
The top-seeded Serbian was still scheduled to open singles play on Monday against qualifier Ricardis Berankis of Lithuania after a first-round bye.
Djokovic had been entered in doubles with compatriot Filip Krajinovic, but he pulled out before their scheduled opener on Sunday against Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe of the United States.
The tournament normally played in Cincinnati, Ohio, is being held this year in a quarantine bubble at the US Tennis Association’s Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, where the US Open will start on Aug. 31.
Djokovic won the title in Cincinnati in 2018 to become the only player to win all nine of the ATP’s elite Masters 1000 tournaments. He reached the semi-finals in Cincy last year.
The 33-year-old has won five of the past seven men’s singles Grand Slam titles, taking his tally to 17—three shy of Roger Federer’s record 20.
Meanwhile, top-seeded Karolina Pliskova and No. 2 Sofia Kenin crashed out, falling in their opening matches at the National Tennis Center in New York.
Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova, ranked 41st in the world, toppled world number three Pliskova of Czech Republic 7-5, 6-4 in their second-round clash.
France’s Alize Cornet notched her first win over a top-five player in two years when she shocked Australian Open champion Kenin 6-1, 7-6 (9/7) to reach the round of 16.
It was a stunning turn of events on a day that saw men’s fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas lead the way into the round of 16 with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over two-time Grand Slam finalist Kevin Anderson.
Greece’s Tsitsipas needed just 69 minutes to subdue Anderson, pressuring the towering South African’s second serve as he broke four times.
He didn’t face a break point himself until the fifth game of the second set, when Tsitsipas fell into a 0-40 hold but won five straight points to escape the jam.
“That was a crucial game, being able to come back there and maintain the focus that I needed to be back in the match and not be a break down, that was a very good effort from me,” Tsitsipas said.
He gained the lone break of the second set when Anderson double-faulted on break point in the eighth game, and finished off the match on his second match point when Anderson sailed a return of a second serve long.
Tsitsipas was the first of the top eight men’s seeds to see action as all enjoyed first-round byes.
