By Victor Kanayo
Serial Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic on Monday, May 29, 2023, began his campaign for a record 23rd men’s singles title with a straightforward victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic.
The Serb, a two-time champion in Paris, defeated the 114nd-ranked American 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7-1).
World number three Djokovic, 36, will face Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics in the second round.
“I played well in the first two sets but then I missed opportunities and lost a little focus,” Djokovic said.
“But it is also a sign of Aleks’ level, which was getting better.
“When you get to a Grand Slam, it is not the opponent who gives you the victory, you have to earn it.”
Others Advance, Crash
Elsewhere on day two, Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime became the first men’s top-10 seed to exit the clay major.
The 10th seed lost 6-4 6-4 6-3 to Italy’s Fabio Fognini for his fourth first-round defeat in five years at Roland Garros.
There was victory for another Canadian, however, as Denis Shapovalov battled to a 6-4 7-5 4-6 3-6 6-3 win over American Brandon Nakashima.
Australian 18th seed Alex de Minaur beat Belarusian Ilya Ivashka in four sets, while Spain’s 19th seed Roberto Bautista Agut wrapped up a 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 6-1 win over China’s Wu Yibing.
Meanwhile, former US Open champion Sloane Stephens showed why she is one of the French Open’s most dangerous unseeded players by knocking out Karolina Pliskova.
American Stephens won what had been an eye-catching first-round encounter 6-0 6-4 against the Czech 16th seed and two-time Grand Slam finalist.
Stephens, runner-up in Paris in 2018, was not ranked high enough to be seeded when the draw was made last week but is now 30th, which would have been enough.
Compatriot Madison Keys also advanced.
Keys, beaten by Stephens in the 2017 US Open final, won 6-1 3-6 6-1 against Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi, while 2021 runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia beat Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova 6-2 6-2.
