NEW YORK — It didn’t take too long to see that Novak Djokovic’s right shoulder is feeling fine.He began his first-round match at the U.S. Open with a 121 mph service winner.
Playing his first match since Aug. 21, when he quit because of a sore and tired shoulder, the top-seeded Djokovic began setting aside any questions about his fitness for Flushing Meadows, building a 6-0, 5-1 lead before qualifier Conor Niland of Ireland stopped after 44 minutes due to food poisoning.
“Great opening performance,” Djokovic said. “Today I didn’t feel any pain. I served well, and I played well, so I have no concern.”
He improved to 58-2 with nine titles in 2011, including at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, allowing the 24-year-old Serb to overtake Rafael Nadal — the defending U.S. Open champion — atop the rankings.
“This year has been tremendous — best so far in my career — and there has been a lot of talk about history-making and this incredible run,” Djokovic said.
His showing Tuesday was the most noteworthy development in the men’s draw during an afternoon session that included a second consecutive first-round departure from the U.S. Open by the sixth-seeded French Open champion Li Na.
Li has gone 5-6, exiting in the second round at Wimbledon, then losing to 53rd-ranked Simona Halep of Romania, 6-2, 7-5.
It’s the first time in 40 years that none of the women’s champions at a season’s first three Grand Slam tournaments reached the second round at the U.S. Open.
Earlier, top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki — who is still in search of Grand Slam trophy No. 1 — defeated 125th-ranked Nuria Llagostera Vives of Spain, 6-3, 6-1.
Among the past major winners who advanced were 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic and two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Two seeded men lost during the day: No. 16 Mikhail Youzhny and No. 32 Ivan Dodig.
Winners included No. 5 David Ferrer, No. 11 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, No. 17 Jurgen Melzer and Americans James Blake and Donald Young.
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