��������

NEW YORK: Novak Djokovic fears his lack of physical conditioning may come back to haunt him as he chases a record 25th Grand Slam singles title at the US Open.
The 38-year-old Serbian superstar made a winning start to his latest tilt at glory on Sunday, defeating US teenager Learner Tien 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 in 2hr 25min on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.
But Djokovic, who needed a lengthy medical timeout to treat a blister on his right foot between the second and third sets, admitted afterwards he was worried by a sudden loss of stamina during the second set.
“I started great – just over 20 minutes, first set, I felt really good,” Djokovic said.
“Then some long games to start the second set... I really was surprised how bad I was feeling in the second physically.
“We had long exchanges, but also, I kind of dropped my level and made a lot of unforced errors and kind of got him back into the match.
“There are positives but also things that hopefully won’t happen in terms of how I felt on the court physically in the second set
“It’s slightly a concern. I don’t know. I don’t have any injury or anything. I just struggled a lot to stay in long exchanges and recover after points.”
Djokovic has not played since his defeat in the semifinals at Wimbledon last month, skipping ATP Masters events in Toronto and Cincinnati to focus all his energy on the US Open.
While there were a few signs of rustiness at times on Sunday, Djokovic also laced his performance with flashes of the brilliance that has been his calling card throughout a glittering career.
Djokovic looked to be a man in a hurry in a scorching start, rattling off winners to take the first set 6-1.
Tien was given hope in a labored second set from Djokovic, but the 19-year-old American could not convert a break point that would have made it one set all.
Instead, Djokovic held serve to make it 5-5 in the second set and reasserted himself to claim the second-set tie break, attacking the net cleverly and using some sublime variation to pull Tien all over the court.
Djokovic paused for a medical timeout for treatment to his right foot before the third set got under way.
The rest appeared to give Djokovic a jolt of energy and he sprinted into a 5-1 lead to leave Tien reeling.
Tien did well to save a match point on Djokovic’s serve before breaking for 5-2.
But the respite was short-lived as Djokovic again responded emphatically, breaking back immediately to wrap up victory.
“I wish I had Learner Tien’s age – when you come to the late 30s it’s about learning how to preserve the energy for what matters,” Djokovic said.
“I still have the flair, I still have the drive, and you guys give me the energy. Hopefully I can keep it going,” he told the crowd.
Djokovic will face US qualifier Zachary Svajda in the second round.

ATLANTA: Asked and now answered.

Emphatically.

Stop questioning Tommy Fleetwood about finally getting his first PGA Tour victory. He got his win, after so many close calls, in a big way. The Englishman captured the FedEx Cup championship with a victory in the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club on Sunday. He takes away the coveted playoff championship and a $10 million winner’s check.

Fleetwood finished 18 under par with a final-round 68. Patrick Cantlay (71), who played in the final pairing, and Russell Henley (69), the first- and second-round leader, tied for second at 15 under.

Fleetwood had a huge smile, maybe of relief, after making his tap-in putt to finish as fans circled the 18th green. They chanted “Tom-my, Tom-my,” as he hugged his caddie. Then he looked upward and let out a scream of delight. He raised both hands as he walked off the green and was greeted by several players.

The win came in Fleetwood’s 164th career start on tour, which included 30 top-5 finishes. Two of those near misses came in these playoffs, a tie for third at the St. Jude’s Championship and a tie for fourth at the BMW Championship. He’s had to answer questions about finally breaking through, especially when he entered the final round holding a share of the lead.

“It’s a shame the story is gone,” Fleetwood said of finally breaking through. “I enjoyed it while it lasted in a sick way. ... I’ll be proud of the strength that I had to show to keep coming back and showing that it can be done if you’re resilient enough and you keep putting yourself in those positions.

“I’ll look back at it and I’ll be able to tell people that I am really, really pleased that I get to talk to kids or aspiring golfers or aspiring sports people, whatever they’re trying to do, and I can genuinely talk about showing resilience or keep coming back after tough losses and keep working and all of those things and the skills that you have to use in order to put yourself there again and then finally get it done.”

Fleetwood, who entered fifth in the points standings, became the first player in the FedEx Cup era (since 2007) to claim his first career PGA tour title at the Tour Championship.

Cantlay found trouble early with a bogey at the first hole and a double-bogey at the second. When Fleetwood birdied No. 2, he was 17 under to Cantlay’s 13 under. Henley took over second place at 15 under.

Fleetwood took a three-stroke lead, at 18 under, into the second nine over Cantay and Henley.

When Cantlay birdied and Fleetwood bogeyed the 10th, just a stroke separated the two. Cantlay bogeyed the 11th, and Fleetwood’s edge was back to two strokes. A Fleetwood birdie at the 13th, and the lead was back to three at 19-under.

When Fleetwood’s tee shot at the par-3 15th landed on dry land — after he hit water in the third round — the tournament was all but over even though he took a bogey. He would play the final hole with a three-stroke lead.

“I think it’s easy for anybody to say that they are resilient, that they bounce back, that they have fight,” Fleetwood said. “It’s different when you actually have to prove it. There’s different types of mental strength. I’ve clearly got things wrong in the dire moments of tournaments, and I might have made the odd dodgy decision, might have put a bad swing on it.

“But I’ve had to have mental strength in a different way. I’ve had to be resilient in terms of putting myself back up there, getting myself back in that position, no matter how many times it doesn’t go my way, no matter how many doubts might creep in. Think the right things, say the right things to yourself, say the right things outwardly, and I am really pleased that I can be proof that if you do all the right things and you just keep going that it can happen.”

Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player and FedEx Cup points leader, started four strokes back. He hit his opening drive out of bounds and managed bogey. He would get two within two strokes of Fleetwood on the back nine but put his tee shot on the par-3 15th in the water and made double-bogey. Scheffler’s chance at back-to-back FedEx Cup titles was over. Scheffler (68) finished tied for fourth at 14 under.

“I wasn’t as sharp as I would have hoped to have (been),” Scheffler said. “I had a good first round, but outside of that didn’t really play my best.”

The Tour Championship changed formats this year to a winner-take-all final with all players starting at even par. However, had they used the starting- strokes format from the previous six years, Scheffler would have won the tournament and the title. Fleetwood, starting at 5 under, who have finished at 23 under; Scheffler, starting 10 under, who have finished 24 under.