Wednesday 31 August 2016 22:53, UK
Novak Djokovic has been handed invaluable time to regain fitness after his US Open second-round opponent Jiri Vesely withdrew injured.
Djokovic was due to face Vesely in Wednesday's third match at the Arthur Ashe Stadium but the Czech has pulled out with an injury to his left forearm.
The walkover comes as an added bonus for the top seed, who will have had three full days rest by the time he faces either Argentina's Guido Pella or Russian Mikhail Youzhny on Friday.
Djokovic arrived at Flushing Meadows with a niggling wrist problem and he was also struggling with an arm injury during Monday's first-round win over Jerzy Janowicz.
Djokovic had to call the trainer five games into the match and his usually potent serve was under-strength, as he battled past the Pole in four sets.
Despite claiming the treatment on his arm had only been "preventative", the 29-year-old was set for a more testing encounter against Vesely, ranked 49th in the world and who won their last encounter in Monte Carlo in April.
"I'm very, very disappointed right now," said 23-year-old Vesely, who was also forced to pull out of his quarter-final in Winston-Salem last week with the same injury.
"I was looking forward to playing Novak, I would have nothing to lose. It's a lot of fun, a lot of excitement. I wish I could play."
Djokovic is bidding to clinch his 13th Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows and third in 2016, following successes at the Australian and French Opens this year.
Early winners in the men's event were South Africa's Kevin Anderson who saw off Canada's Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 6-4.
Anderson reached the quarter-finals last year, beating 2012 champion Andy Murray on the way, but has been plagued by knee, shoulder and ankle injuries in 2016 which forced him to skip eight events.
Ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga overcame a spirited fight from James Duckworth to win 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4 and move into the third round.
But Tsonga's countryman Benoit Paire, who was recently provisionally suspended by the French Tennis Federation due to his behavior at the Rio Olympics, was defeated 6-2 6-4 3-6 6-4 by Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis.
Meanwhile, French 10th seed Gael Monfils was in irresistible form against Czech Jan Satral, winning 7-5 6-4 6-3.
