Desk Report
Publish: 24 May 2022, 12:47 pm
Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning his first-round match against Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka || Photo: REUTERS
Reigning
champion Novak Djokovic won in straight sets on his return to Grand Slam action
at the French Open on Monday and 13-time Roland Garros winner Rafael Nadal
eased to victory, but Naomi Osaka crashed out in the first round.
Djokovic
defeated Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 6-1, 6-0 in the first night session at
full capacity in Paris in his first match at a major since losing last year's
US Open final.
His
attempt to defend his Australian Open title in January ended in chaos and
controversy when he was deported from Melbourne for refusing to get vaccinated.
"I'm
happy to be back. Roland Garros is one of the biggest tournaments in the world,
and the memories from last year still are fresh in my head, in my mind,"
said Novak Djokovic.
The
world number one, who turned 35 on Sunday, converted eight of 18 break points
against Nishioka under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier on a
rain-interrupted day.
"I
have to be pleased overall. I always expect the highest from myself, so I can
always do better, but was a very good start of the tournament," added
Djokovic.
He will
next meet either Federico Coria of Argentina or Slovakia's Alex Molcan, who is
working with Marian Vajda -- Djokovic's former long-time coach.
Nadal,
on a quarter-final collision course with Djokovic, brushed Australia's Jordan
Thompson aside 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 to improve his Roland Garros record to 106 wins
and just three losses since his 2005 title-winning debut.
"It's
a good start, of course, straight sets," said Nadal, seeded fifth.
"I
played good for a while. Then things that I could do better and I need to do
better. But it's a positive start."
The
Spaniard, who last week downplayed concerns over the recurrence of a foot
injury that plagued him in Rome, meets Corentin Moutet in round two after the
French wildcard defeated 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka._AFP
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Topic : Novak Djokovic Grand Slam French Open Tennis
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