Novak Djokovic vs. Mikhail Youzhny: Score and Reaction from 2016 US Open

Reigning champion Novak Djokovic advanced to the fourth round of the 2016 U.S. Open after Mikhail Youzhny retired midway through the first set Friday. 

Youzhny was clearly in distress during the opening stages of the match, lacking the necessary movement to remain competitive with one of the tournament favorites. He tried to fight through the pain before opting to call it quits after just six games.

Djokovic, who's dealing with a lingering wrist injury, also benefited from Jiri Vesely's withdrawal, which allowed him to move through the second round without hitting a shot. Greg Garber of ESPN.com noted the world's top-ranked player is just trying to survive and advance for the next two weeks.

"To be honest, I take it day by day," Djokovic said after his first-round win over Jerzy Janowicz. "That's what I feel at the moment. It's good, as I said, just to finish the match. I'm pleased that as the match progressed I was feeling better and better."

The extra time off seemed to serve him well, as he raced out to a 3-0 lead over Youzhny in the first set. The veteran Russian finally got on the scoreboard in the fourth game, but he called for the trainer a short time later due to an apparent leg injury.

Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated highlighted the good fortune of the No. 1 seed:

Sure enough, Youzhny returned to the court for one more game but decided it wasn't worth trying to play the rest of the match. It continued a remarkable stretch of good fortune for Djokovic at a time when he can use it.

ESPNTennis showcased the concession from the former U.S. Open semifinalist:

"

Due to injury, Youzhny has retired from his match against Djokovic. The world No.1 advances to the R16.#USOpen pic.twitter.com/EMOzPWeqpa

— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) September 2, 2016"

Ultimately, the situation could become both a blessing and a curse for Djokovic. While he probably doesn't mind the additional opportunities to rest his wrist, at some point rust will enter the equation, given the lack of match play this week.

He'll face either John Isner or Kyle Edmund in the fourth round. He holds an 8-2 advantage over the big-serving American, including five straight wins dating back to 2013. He won his only meeting with Edmund in straight sets earlier this season in Miami.

Djokovic didn't look anywhere near top form during his win over Janowicz to start the tournament. So it will be intriguing to see how he performs in the fourth round with all the variables in play, assuming his opponent is able to make it through an entire match.

Post-Match Reaction

Tim Hill of the Guardian passed along Djokovic's comments about trying to stay at the top of his game without getting to play matches:

"

There's always plenty of things to work on. Every day is different and you feel different on the court … I work more or less on every aspect of my game. My serve, shots from the back of the court. The first week things are not always 100 percent so … I didn't get too much of the match play. I'll try to get on the practice court.

"

That said, he admitted the way things have played out over the past three days have created a unique situation, per BBC Sport.

"It's difficult to pick the words. I don't think I have had this situation before," Djokovic said.

"I will try to get the positives out of these six games. I started well with good intensity and will try to carry that on to the next match."