Novak Djokovic says he was close to retiring during a 7-5, 7-5 win over Julien Benneteau in his opening match in Toronto. Djokovic came from a break down in both sets.
Djokovic struggled with the heat during the 2-hour, 12-minute match, consulting the trainer more than once during the second set. "It was obvious that on the court I wasn't feeling the best, but I [overcame] it," he said.
Djokovic described the problem as "nothing unusual, just little heat issues that I have," but added, "I will never ever risk my health just to win. Today I was really on the edge."