Paris (AFP) – For the first day of this Roland-Garros 2023 this Monday, May 29, the favorites are entering: Novak Djokovic, who is aiming for the record of 23 Grand Slam titles, negotiated his first match well, shortly before Carlos Alcaraz in turn launched his campaign.
Published on : 29/05/2023 – 17:28
« I am happy. I started the tournament well and I hope to be able to raise my level “, commented the Serbian, Novak Djokovic 36 years old, in French in front of the public of the Philippe-Chatrier court just after having dismissed the American Aleksandar Kovacevic (114th in the world). ” I played the first two sets well, then I lost a bit of concentration, but he raised his level of play. In Grand Slam, the opponent does not give you the victory, you have to deserve it “, Added the world No.3 who will face the Hungarian colossus Marton Fucsovics (83rd) in the second round.
On the sun-drenched but windswept Center Court, Djokovic took a few games to find his feet. From 2-2 in the first set, however, he appeared clearly above his opponent: he won nine of the next eleven games to lead 5-1 in the second set and finish it quietly. In the third set, he was less incisive, twice conceding his face-off and was pushed to the tie break, in which he was intractable against the Serbian American who participated for the first time. at 24 in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament.
Djokovic is playing in his 19th clay Major since his first in 2005. He has never lost in the first round and since 2010 has always reached at least the quarter-finals, winning the title twice, in 2016 and 2021. He now totals 86 victories at Roland-Garros where only the master of the place Nadal, titled 14 times, but absent this year, has done better (112).
The main opponent of the Serb this year will certainly be the world No.1 Alcaraz who was facing the Italian Flavio Cobolli (159th and from qualifying).
(With AFP)
