Djokovic wins post-hiatus debut after neck injury

Djokovic advances to the quarter-finals where he will play German Jan-Lennard Struff who defeated seventh seed David Goffin 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Novak Djokovic (SRB) plays against Tennys Sandgren (USA) during the Western & Southern Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in August 25, 2020, in New York.
Reuters

Novak Djokovic (SRB) plays against Tennys Sandgren (USA) during the Western & Southern Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in August 25, 2020, in New York.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic needed six match points to tough out a 6-2, 6-4 win over Tennys Sandgren in the third round of the Western & Southern Open in New York.

The reigning Australian Open champ breezed through the final game on Tuesday by winning four straight points, closing it out with a cross-court forehand winner to clinch it in 88 minutes.

But American Sandgren made the Serb work for the victory as he survived five match points in the previous game.

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Djokovic advances to the quarter-finals where he will play German Jan-Lennard Struff who defeated seventh seed David Goffin 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Djokovic had pulled out of doubles on Sunday with pain in his neck, but did not appear to be bothered by the injury against Sandgren.

The no-spectator tournament was moved from Cincinnati to New York where the same quarantine bubble will house the US Open starting on August 31.

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