FRENCH OPEN 2016 TENNIS – RAFAEL RAFA NADAL & NOVAK DJOKOVIC ARE INTO THE NEXT ROUND AT ROLAND GARROS PARIS, FRANCE

Written by: Staff on 24th May 2016

French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros

FRENCH OPEN 2016 TENNIS - RAFAEL RAFA NADAL & NOVAK DJOKOVIC ARE INTO THE NEXT ROUND AT ROLAND GARROS PARIS, FRANCE

epa05326864 A ball boy waits during the men's single first round match between Yen-Hsun Lu of Taiwan and Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 24 May 2016. EPA/YOAN VALAT |

Djokovic, Nadal coast through opening matches at Roland Garros

By Ricky Dimon

Novak Djokovic began another quest for his first French Open title and a completion of the career Grand Slam when he rolled over Yen-Hsun Lu 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 on Tuesday afternoon. Djokovic started slow but quickly recovered and eventually needed only one hour and 29 minutes to advance.

The world No. 1 has arrived at Roland Garros as a considerable favorite, just as he was in 2015 before ultimately falling to Stan Wawrinka in the final. Perhaps such pressure contributed to Djokovic losing four of the match’s first eight games en route to a 4-4 deadlock in the opening set.

“It’s not the first time this year that I’m experiencing such anticipation and expectations,” Djokovic explained. “As a matter of fact, I think it’s been now three years in a row that is very similar situation where I’m approaching this tournament as one of the favorites. Obviously people wonder if this is the year or not–and I wonder myself.

“So of course it is a particular sensation approaching this tournament. It’s quite different than others. It does depend on me how I’m going to use this emotion; so I try to use it as a motivation to inspire myself, to play well, to stay calm and focus only on the present moment.”

Novak Djokovic of Serbia in action against Yen-Hsun Lu of Taiwan during their men’s single first round match at the French Open tennis tournament, at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 24 May 2016. EPA/IAN LANGSDON

The top-seeded Serb certainly buckled down starting late in the first set against Lu. After trailing 40-0 on the underdog’s serve, just a point from dropping behind 5-4, Djokovic promptly reeled off nine consecutive points to steal the set. From there he did not look back, surrendering only two more games the rest of the way.

“The second and third set were really good,” the winner commented. “I thought I found my rhythm. (The) first set was up and down. But I’ll take the positives out of it, and I’m hoping I can progress as the tournament goes on.”

If–or more like when–Djokovic progresses to the semifinals, he could face Rafael Nadal. The nine-time French Open champion kicked off his campaign with a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 destruction of Sam Groth earlier in the afternoon, trumping Djokovic’s double-breadstick performance against Lu.

“It was difficult for me to break him, but for him it was also difficult to break me,” Nadal said of the huge-serving Australian.

But only one of those assertions by Nadal was correct.

The fifth-ranked Spaniard had absolutely no trouble breaking Groth. In fact, he did so on eight occasions. And calling it “difficult” for Groth to break was being generous. It was more like impossible. The world No. 100 won a mere five out of 45 return points and–of course–did not generate a single break chance.

“It’s obvious that was a good start for me,” Nadal assured. “The most important thing that I had to do today I did well was the return, and then I was playing with not many mistakes. I think it’s obvious that the opponent plays better in faster surfaces. But in general I think I played a solid match.”