U.S. Open: Djokovic fights back to win, top seed Pliskova crashes out

World number one Novak Djokovic overcame a sluggish start but fought back to move into the third round of the U.S. Open, while women's top seed Karolina Pliskova crashed out in the second round on Wednesday.

Djokovic brushed aside Kyle Edmund 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4 6-2 on Wednesday, improving his 2020 match record to 25-0.

Edmund took a tight opening set, laying down an ace to clinch the tiebreak 7-5 – It was only the sixth set Djokovic had dropped going all the way back to the Australian Open.

"Mentally, Kyle played a fantastic first set, did not do much wrong," said Djokovic. "It was anybody's game really for a set and a half."

"Winning the second set I felt more comfortable. Overall, it was a very good test and I am happy to get through."

Kyle Edmund (R) of Britain returns the ball during his men's singles second-round match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the U.S. Open in New York, September 2, 2020. /VCG

Djokovic will next play Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff.

"I played a great match against him at the Western and Southern Open but it is different conditions here," the Serbian said.

"If we are going to play on center court, he is a big server there is not much breeze so that probably helps the server."

Meanwhile, Pliskova fell in straight sets 6-1 7-6(2) to the world number 50 Caroline Garcia.

Pliskova, a former world number one in pursuit of her maiden grand slam title, had no answer to the power of confident Garcia and at one point let out her frustration by smashing her racket on the court.

"I maybe didn't play my best. I didn't serve that great, especially early in the match. But that's how it is sometimes. I'm not a robot, so I don't have to play every day amazing," said Pliskova after the loss.

Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic returns the ball during her women's singles second-round match against Caroline Garcia of France at the U.S. Open in New York, September 2, 2020. /VCG

She went 5-0 down in the opening set and although she fought back in the second, Garcia dominated the tiebreak to advance.

"I thought she played great tennis in the first set. She was just playing super aggressive, going for her shots."

Elevated to the head of the field in New York after a slew of high-ranking player withdrawals, the exit is a miserable one for Pliskova as the world number three from the Czech Republic is still without a grand slam title.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover image: Caroline Garcia and Karolina Pliskova touch rackets after Garcia won their women's singles second-round match at the U.S. Open in New York, September 2, 2020. /VCG)