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New York - Top seed Novak Djokovic survived a first-set wobble to defeat Germany's Benjamin Becker 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-2 and reach the US Open third round on Friday.
The world number one saved two set points in the 10th game of the opening set, but once he had weathered the storm it was plain sailing for the 2011 champion who is bidding to make the final for a fourth successive year.
Djokovic sent down 13 aces in his 1hr 51min victory as well as 40 winners with 18 of his 26 total unforced errors coming in that uncomfortable first set against the world nunber 87 who is part of US Open folklore.
The 32-year-old German was the man who ended Andre Agassi's career in the American's last match in New York in 2006.
"Becker is a quality player and he should have won the first set. I was fortunate to come out of it, but after that I felt more comfortable on the court," said Djokovic.
"There were tough conditions and I wasn't playing as well as I could.
"We have been working hard the last 10 days and my team has been helping me to get to the highest level possible."
Djokovic now goes on to face either Jarkko Nieminen of Finland or Portugal's Joao Sousa for a place in the last 16.
US Open results on Friday (x denotes seeded player):
Men's singles
2nd rd
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Benjamin Becker (GER) 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-2
Joao Sousa (POR) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 1-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Tim Smyczek (USA) bt Alex Bogomolov (RUS) 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
Marcel Granollers (ESP) bt Rajeev Ram (USA) 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5
Tommy Haas (GER x12) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x21) bt Aleksandr Dolgopolov (UKR) 7-5, 6-1, 6-3
Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) bt Peter Gojowczyk (GER) 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) bt Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-1
Andy Murray (GBR x3) bt Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 7-5, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1
Florian Mayer (GER) bt Donald Young (USA) 7-5, 6-3, 6-4
Andreas Seppi (ITA x20) bt Somdev Devvarman (IND) 7-6 (10/8), 6-4, 7-5
Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Tobias Kamke (GER) 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 7-5, 7-6 (10/8), 6-4
Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) bt Kevin Anderson (RSA x17) 6-2, 6-2, 6-2
Julien Benneteau (FRA x31) bt Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
Tomas Berdych (CZE x5) bt Denis Kudla (USA) 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3
Women
3rd rd
Serena Williams (USA) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 6-3, 6-1
Sloane Stephens (USA x15) bt Jamie Hampton (USA x23) 6-1, 6-3
Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP x18) bt Zheng Jie (CHN) 6-2, 6-4
Angelique Kerber (GER x8) bt Kaia Kanepi (EST x25) 6-0, 6-4
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x3) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x32) 6-4, 7-6 (7/1)
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS x24) bt Sabine Lisicki (GER x16) 6-4, 7-5
Jelena Jankovic (SRB x9) bt Kurumi Nara (JPN) 6-4, 7-6 (7/5)
Li Na (CHN x5) bt Laura Robson (GBR x30) 6-2, 7-5
