TENNIS:STRICKEN WITH food poisoning, Ireland's Conor Niland was cruelly denied in his first-round match against world number one Novak Djokovic at the US Open in Flushing Meadows last night. Following what was a dream draw Niland was forced to retire in the second set due to illness with the match 6-0, 5-1 in favour of the Serbian.

Intermittently the Irish number one has had trouble with a hip injury and had to have a cortisone injection following his run to the Wimbledon first round in June of this year. But it was food poisoning that brought the 29-year-old low last night in what was by far the biggest match of his professional career.

Well travelled to all corners of the world in his quest for ranking points and Challenger titles, Niland got sick on court during his warm-up about an hour and half before he was due to meet the world number one on Arthur Ashe, the biggest court of the US championships.

According to a source close to the player, the Irish number one’s illness began on Sunday night and Monday morning, when he began getting sick. He subsequently received help from the medical team of his hitting partner and friend, Scotland’s Andy Murray, which stabilised the condition for a short time.

But Niland was far from healthy all week and in the end it was only his courage that allowed him step on to the court at all, although, his cause was a lost one from the first ball.

Far from getting the strong start he was looking for against the world number one, it was Djokovic who raced through the first game on serve for a 1-0 lead and immediately broke Niland’s first service game for a 2-0 advantage.

But there was little the Irishman could do except default or continue on in the arena with the greatest tennis player on the planet. Not wishing the moment to be lost Niland kept going but clearly lacked any power or energy.

The 24-year-old Djokovic, who has already won nine titles this year including the Australian Open and Wimbledon, was already the hot favourite and although he had retired in his last match in Cincinnati against Murray with an apparent shoulder problem, there was little evidence of it yesterday.

Defeated only twice this year in 59 matches, the Serb showed little compassion for the Irishman’s distress. The likelihood is that Djokovic had probably never even seen Niland before yesterday as he pushed on from his opening three games to take the first set 6-0.

Far from getting better Niland’s condition appeared to get worse and during the first set break he called for the trainer. After a brief conversation with the medic he surprisingly continued but by then the match was lost. Looking exhausted and weak and far from his normal impeccable conditioning Niland struggled into the second set to continue the one-sided contest.

In many ways it was ideal for the top seed to gently play his way into the final Grand Slam of the year against Niland, whose misery continued unabated. Niland simply couldn’t hit any winners at all while Djokovic had the shots and hunger to prolong the rallies which only accelerated Niland’s fall. A round of applause greeted Niland’s first game when he drew level with Djokovic 1-1 in the second set but that revival was predictably short lived. At 5-1 in the second set he reluctantly shook hands with Djokovic and departed from the biggest match of his life.

Irish interest now rests with the recently rejuvenated Louk Sorensen, who faces world number six Robin Soderling in his first-round match. Sorensen, son of former Irish Davis Cup player Seán, has made a remarkable recovery from injury and goes in against the Swedish player like Niland did, as the underdog.