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Top-ranked defending champion Novak Djokovic retired from his US Open match Sunday after dropping the first two sets to Stan Wawrinka, sending the Swiss three-time Grand Slam champion into the quarter-finals.
Djokovic, who won four of the past five Slam crowns and 16 overall, was in pain from a nagging left shoulder injury while 34-year-old Wawrinka, who also beat Djokovic in the 2016 US Open final, showed himself a true title contender.
Djokovic was trailing 6-4, 7-5, 2-1 when he quit.
On a day when Roger Federer cruised into a quarter-final against Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov and Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev reached his first Slam quarter-final, Djokovic's shocker stole the show.
Djokovic admitted he has been hurting for weeks without detailing how or when the injury took place.
"The pain was constant for weeks now, some days higher, some days with less intensity," Djokovic said."Taking different stuff to kill the pain instantly. Sometimes it works. sometimes it doesn't.
Wawrinka has battled nearly two years to recover Slam-winning form after knee surgery and his performance, after a French Open quarter-final run, shows his journey is nearly complete.
"It has been really tough since my surgery. It has took me two years to be back at that level. It feels really incredible," said Wawrinka.
A strong warm-up told 23rd seed Wawrinka his game was solid and he took advantage of netted Djokovic backhands on both set points he won, some of the 35 unforced errors the Serbian star made.
Medvedev, a winner at Cincinnati and runner-up at Montreal and Washington in hardcourt tuneup events, advanced to face Wawrinka by beating 118th-ranked German qualifier Dominik Koepfer 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/2).
"He's a great athlete playing super good tennis," Wawrinka said. "I'm sure it will be a great match."
Medvedev won his only match against Wawrinka in the 2017 first round at Wimbledon.
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