Novak Djokovic started his French Open title defence with a stable if not spectacular victory over house hope Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
Serbia’s Djokovic, 37, upped his stage when it mattered to win 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 in Tuesday’s evening session at Roland Garros.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion will take sole possession of the document of most main titles with a fourth victory on the Paris clay.
However he has come into the occasion in unsure kind.
Djokovic has endured a turbulent season, having been removed from his lofty heights and never but reaching a closing.
Enjoying in Geneva final week was an indication he wished to construct rhythm and confidence earlier than heading to the French Open, saying when he arrived that he had “low expectations however excessive hopes”.
Due to this fact, it was intriguing to see how Djokovic would carry out in opposition to 142nd-ranked wildcard Herbert.
Djokovic’s motion on the baseline didn’t all the time look snug and lacked some sharpness in his returning.
Nonetheless, he usually served properly and was nonetheless in a position to choose his moments to strike – most notably in a commanding tie-break.
This 12 months, Djokovic has appeared to lack a number of the fireplace which has typically fuelled his success however his demonstrative celebrations as he clinched the two-set lead indicated his pleasure.
Possibilities have been uncommon within the third set earlier than he piled on the strain once more in what proved to be the ultimate recreation.
A shocking winner at deuce teed up a primary match level and Herbert blinked handy it over with a double fault.
“I am glad I began the way in which I began, the way in which I felt on the courtroom,” stated Djokovic, who performs Spain’s world quantity 63 Roberto Carballes Baena in spherical two.
“Evaluating to the earlier weeks of tournaments I performed [recently], I felt good, higher. I am transferring in a optimistic path.”