Djokovic passes first test at Roland-Garros with straight-sets win over Herbert

Novak Djokovic, the top seed in Paris, beat French wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-4 to advance to the second round of Roland-Garros on Tuesday evening.

Question marks hovered around the Serb’s level heading into the year’s second major, with early exits in Rome and Geneva this month.]

While Djokovic was far from his best still, the world No 1 brought an encouraging resolve to this match, and looked strong physically. He served well (68 percent of first serves made, with 84 percent of subsequent points won), and largely played clean tennis, making just 18 unforced errors across the two hour, 31 minute match.

When it mattered most, the three-time champion was able to raise his level against Herbert, winning a tight second set to gain the upper hand.

“I have to say, the night session matches are very special out here on Chatrier. The conditions are different, you have to wait quite a long time before you play, but it’s a special feeling when you step out here,” said Djokovic after his victory.

“I think that Herbert served very well. I was in a complicated situation because I couldn’t find the right position to return his serves, so it was very important to say focused. If he had won that second set, it would have been a different match—for me, for the atmosphere. It was very important for me that I won that second set.”

“It is a real pleasure to be here again, this court is very special,” Djokovic continued. “This tournament is very special for my career. A lot of battles. I also won this trophy, when I first did it, it was the biggest challenge of my career. A big mountain to climb.”

Djokovic, ranked No 1, will face Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena next.

Paris (Grand Slam), other first-round results (Roland-Garros, clay, EUR 53.478.000, most recent results first):

• Gregoire Barrere vs. Alexander Bublik: tuesday
• Tallon Griekspoor (26) beat Mackenzie McDonald: 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2
• Alexei Popyrin vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis: tuesday
• Roberto Carballes Baena beat Constant Lestienne: 6-3, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2
• Giulio Zeppieri (Q) beat Adrian Mannarino (22): 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2
• Jan-Lennard Struff beat Roman Andres Burruchaga (Q): 6-3, 6-2, 6-1
• Holger Rune (13) beat Daniel Evans: 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
• Luciano Darderi beat Rinky Hijikata: 6-3, 7-6 (6), 6-1
• Flavio Cobolli beat Hamad Medjedovic (Q): 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3
• David Goffin beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (WC): 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3
• Taylor Fritz (12) beat Federico Coria: 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-1
• Mariano Navone (31) beat Pablo Carreno Busta: 5-7, 6-1, 6-3, 6-0
• Jaume Munar beat Roberto Bautista Agut: 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
• Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beat Valentin Vacherot (Q): 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (2)
• Arthur Rinderknech beat Adam Walton (WC): 6-2, 6-4, 7-5
• Tomas Machac beat Nuno Borges: 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-3
• Alex De Minaur (11) beat Alex Michelsen: 6-1, 6-0, 6-2
• Casper Ruud (7) beat Felipe Meligeni Alves (Q): 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
• Tomas Martin Etcheverry (28) beat Arthur Cazaux: 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4
• Daniil Medvedev (5) beat Dominik Koepfer: 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3
• Fabio Fognini beat Botic van de Zandschulp: 6-1, 6-1, 7-5
• Gael Monfils beat Thiago Seyboth Wild: 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
• Dusan Lajovic beat Roman Safiullin: 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-4
• Miomir Kecmanovic beat Thiago Monteiro (Q): 6-2, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5
• Denis Shapovalov beat Luca Van Assche: 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
• Tommy Paul (14) beat Pedro Cachin: 6-2, 6-3, 6-1
• Frances Tiafoe (25) beat Mattia Bellucci (Q): 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-4
• Lorenzo Musetti (30) beat Daniel Elahi Galan: 6-3, 6-3, 7-5
• Filip Misolic (Q) beat Otto Virtanen (LL): 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
• Francisco Cerundolo (23) beat Yannick Hanfmann: 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
• Pavel Kotov beat Cameron Norrie (32): 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2
• Alexander Zverev (4) beat Rafael Nadal: 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3
• Karen Khachanov (18) beat Sumit Nagal: 6-2, 6-0, 7-6 (5)
• Sebastian Baez (20) beat Gustavo Heide (Q): 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
• Matteo Arnaldi beat Arthur Fils (29): 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
• Jozef Kovalik (LL) beat Marcos Giron: 7-6 (3), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5)
• Stefanos Tsitsipas (9) beat Marton Fucsovics: 7-6 (7), 6-4, 6-1
• Jannik Sinner (2) beat Christopher Eubanks: 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
• SoonWoo Kwon beat Emil Ruusuvuori: 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
• Felix Auger-Aliassime (21) beat Yoshihito Nishioka: 6-2, 6-4, 6-4
• Ben Shelton (15) beat Hugo Gaston: 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
• Henri Squire (Q) beat Max Purcell: 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (10)
• Alexander Shevchenko beat Aslan Karatsev: 6-4, 4-6, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4
• Stan Wawrinka beat Andy Murray: 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
• Sebastian Ofner beat Terence Atmane (WC): 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2, 7-5
• Corentin Moutet beat Nicolas Jarry (16): 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0
• Daniel Altmaier beat Laslo Djere: 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 5-7, 7-6 (6)
• Sebastian Korda (27) beat Harold Mayot (WC): 6-2, 7-6 (4), 6-4
• Fabian Marozsan beat Mikhail Kukushkin (Q): 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
• Kei Nishikori beat Gabriel Diallo (Q): 7-5, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 1-6, 7-5
• Zizou Bergs (Q) beat Alejandro Tabilo (24): 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-2
• Alexandre Muller (WC) beat Luca Nardi: 6-4, 6-1, 6-3
• Richard Gasquet (WC) beat Borna Coric: 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2), 6-4
• Carlos Alcaraz (3) beat J.J. Wolf (LL): 6-1, 6-2, 6-1
• Maximilian Marterer beat Jordan Thompson: 6-3, 6-2, 6-0
• Grigor Dimitrov (10) beat Aleksandar Kovacevic: 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
• Hubert Hurkacz (8) beat Shintaro Mochizuki (Q): 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3
• Jesper De Jong (Q) beat Jack Draper: 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 3-6, 6-3
• Zhizhen Zhang beat Aleksandar Vukic: 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
• Lorenzo Sonego beat Ugo Humbert (17): 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
• Pedro Martinez beat Thiago Agustin Tirante: 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
• Andrey Rublev (6) beat Taro Daniel: 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 7-5
• Brandon Nakashima beat Nicolas Moreno De Alboran (WC): 6-1, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-2