Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in action during his Madrid Open round of 32 match against Taylor Fritz of the US at the The Caja Magica, Madrid May 7, 2019. — Reuters pic
PARIS, May 27 — Novak Djokovic laid down an early marker in his bid to hold all four Grand Slam titles for the second time today, powering past Polish youngster Hubert Hurkacz in the Roland Garros first round.
The 15-time major champion impressed with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 triumph and will face Swiss lucky loser Henri Laaksonen in round two.
“I was very solid. I’m happy with my game today,” said the top seed. “It’s a long tournament... But I just want to concentrate on my next match.”
A single break in the opening game of the match proved enough for Djokovic to take the first set, and the Serb raced through the second in under half an hour.
The 22-year-old Hurkacz, who has claimed three wins over top-10 players this season, had no answer to the 2016 French Open winner, as Djokovic sealed a second-round spot after another dominant set on his first match point. — AFP