Daijiworld Media Network - Paris

Paris, May 25: Novak Djokovic overcame a challenging first-round encounter at Roland Garros, fighting back from a set down to defeat France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in four sets and secure his place in the second round of the French Open.

The Serbian tennis star registered a 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 victory after a tense contest that lasted two hours and 51 minutes on the clay courts of Paris.

With this appearance, Djokovic marked his 82nd Grand Slam main draw participation at Roland Garros, surpassing the previous joint record he shared with Roger Federer and Feliciano Lopez. The win also improved his remarkable opening-round record at Grand Slam tournaments to 80 victories against just two defeats. Notably, he has not lost an opening match at a major since the 2006 Australian Open.

The victory further extended Djokovic’s flawless first-round record at Roland Garros to 22 wins without a defeat — the best such record by any male player in the Open Era. He also maintained his unbeaten streak against French opponents in Paris, moving to 13-0 overall.

Djokovic will next face another French player, Valentin Royer, as he continues his campaign in the tournament.

The match, however, was far from straightforward for the 24-time Grand Slam champion. Facing the powerful serving of Mpetshi Perricard, Djokovic struggled to create opportunities in the opening set and failed to earn a single break point. The Frenchman capitalised at 5-5 to break serve and eventually claimed the set, becoming the first French player in 14 years to take a set off Djokovic at Roland Garros.

Djokovic’s frustration grew in the second set as he repeatedly failed to convert break opportunities, going 0-for-9 at one stage. Even after earning set points at 6-5, Perricard saved three of them with booming aces.

The turning point finally came on the fourth set point when Djokovic managed to return serve and dominate a gripping 17-shot rally. A cleverly placed drop shot forced the Frenchman forward, but Perricard’s attempted passing shot drifted just wide, allowing Djokovic to level the match.

From that moment, momentum shifted completely in the Serbian’s favour. Djokovic raised his level significantly, breaking serve three more times while controlling the rallies with greater authority.

The experienced champion comfortably closed out the final two sets to complete the comeback and safely progress to the second round in Paris.