Novak Djokovic bounces back from set down to beat Kyle Edmund and reach US Open third round

Novak Djokovic bounced back from a set down to beat Kyle Edmund in four sets and advance to the third round of the US Open.

The world number one would have not been the only one surprised by an impressively aggressive opening from the British number two, who produced a fine set of tennis to snare the first-set tiebreak.

Djokovic, 33, cut a frustrated figure on court as he bellowed and screamed inside the empty Arthur Ashe Stadium but it appeared more as a mechanism to fire himself up with no fans there to help him.

And even a brief period where he struggled to keep his emotions in check couldn't prevent him from marching on towards the third round, completing a 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory in three hours and 13 minutes on court.

As tests go, there wouldn't be a tougher opponent to face at Flushing Meadows this year than four-time winner Djokovic.

But the 25-year-old, who has fallen down the ATP rankings in recent years and lost his British number one status to Dan Evans, reminded everyone how he can compete with the very best.

After seeing off a 10-minute challenge from Djokovic on his second service game, Edmund never looked like relinquishing his hold. Djokovic, equally, was serving accurately and powerfully, and with no breaks on the horizon, the first set ended in a tiebreak.

When Djokovic fought back to lead 4-3, few would have expected Edmund to raise his level. But the Briton produced a stunning range of forehands, which was proving to be a real weapon, and he clinched the first set after some sloppy play from Djokovic.

With no fans in the arena, the 17-time Grand Slam winner appeared to be struggling to fire himself up for a comeback. So he let his serving do the talking, with three consecutive games without dropping a point on his serve.

After rushing through his serves, Edmund's level dropped for all of five minutes - and that's all Djokovic needed to secure a break and take the second set 6-3.

Edmund did his utmost to bounce back and continued to serve well, with his powerful forehand proving a test for the Serbian.

But once he conceded a double break in the third and fourth sets, there was no stopping the world number one.

He remains unbeaten in the US Open second round (14-0) and with plenty of improvement available. For Edmund, he goes into the clay season knowing that there are plenty of positives in his game despite the early exit from Flushing Meadows.