Novak Djokovic does the customary French Open first round demolition as he beats Aleksander Kovacevic
Djokovic starts Roland Garros 2023 in style with a demolishing win over American Aleksandar Kovacevic in straight sets.
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Novak Djokovic and Sebastian Korda (Image via The Independent)
It’s a customary thing year after year. Novak Djokovic enters a Grand Slam and hammers his first-round opponent. It not only sets him up for the tournament but also relaxes all the pre-tournament nerves. It’s a normal thing for the Serbian ace. This is the 65th consecutive first-round win for the Serb when it comes to Grand Slams. He has now equaled Roger Federer’s record of 65 straight first-round wins. However, it is not that easy for his opponents.
Roland Garros 2023 saw another first-round player being bullied by the Serb on the court. Classy forehands and some finesse at the net saw Novak Djokovic humble Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-3 6-2 7-6. It took the Serb 2 hours and 26 minutes to dismiss Kovacevic.
This win was needed for the Serb. A patchy clay season has had the fans doubt the Serb’s chances this time around. However, a clinical victory has got him in a good space. The Serb was proud of his performance and this is what he had to say, “I’m very, very motivated. I want to go to the end of this tournament. Congratulations to Alex. He’s a great player.. It was hard to find a good rhythm. But I’m happy & I have to keep being positive.” Djokovic clearly has his eyes on the Paris Prize and will do everything in his strength to play all 7 rounds.
“It is a pleasure to return to Roland Garros. It’s a great tournament. There are a lot of emotions and have had great moments here and in Bercy. Congratulations to Alex for a battle today. The conditions were difficult today. The wind was changing all the time but I’m happy and I’m staying positive.” Djokovic mentioned that the conditions were not easy. Those aspects make his victory sweeter. The opponents will only get tougher, however, the Serbian has scaled the 7-round challenge 22 times before. He will take confidence not only from this win but also from his past performances at Grand Slam events.
Djokovic ready to face an Italian challenge in round 2
After beating Aleksandar Kovacevic, Djokovic moved into the second round. He will now face Marton Fuscovics. The Italian has come off a 4-set win over Hugo Grenier. He looked very good in his outing and will pose a slight bit of a challenge for Djokovic. Djokovic himself looked invincible and will look to carry on the momentum in round two.
For the Serb, the most important thing is to finish matches quickly. As the tournament deepens, the challenges will get tougher. He will need to be as fit as possible for the drainers. Djokovic has the tougher draw, with Carlos Alcaraz a potential semi-final opponent. As of now, there are no signs of worry for the Serb, and he just needs to carry on with the good stuff.
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Manan Mehta
(215 Articles Published)