Novak Djokovic starts his US Open campaign against Irish qualifier Conor Niland.
Ominously for Djokovic's competitors, he declared yesterday that his shoulder is just fine on the eve of this first round match, even turning down the chance for some further treatment in the space age CVAC Pod, a simulated high altitude environment aimed to aid the body's healing processes.
That will be the most interesting part of this first round clash, seeing how Djokovic's serving power compares to the Cincinnati final where his injury meant he was sending down deliveries at an average of just over 100 mph.
Niland is an inspiration for all journeymen competitors at the lower levels of the ATP Tour. He's spent most of his career competing in challenger and futures events but now at age 30 he's finally starting to make a breakthrough. He qualified for Wimbledon a couple of months ago and repeated the feat at Flushing Meadows last week.
Credit to him, he's relishing the chance to play the world number one on Arthur Ashe stadium. "Some people might think it's a draw any player would dread but that's not the way I would look at it," he said. "I feel that it's a tremendous privilege and opportunity for me to be playing the top player in the world."
Prediction: Djokovic in three
