Roland-Garros: Defending champion Djokovic dismisses Nishioka

He might be a little out of match practice, but he out-thought and out-fought his opponent on Paris’s centre stage

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning his first round match against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka (Panoramic)

May 23, 2022

Serb Novak Djokovic, the top seed, beat Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 6-1, 6-0 to advance to the second round of Roland-Garros.

In front of a packed Philippe-Chatrier in the first night session open to the full complement of spectators, the 20-time Grand Slam champion made a good account of himself in his first best-of-five match since the US Open last autumn – eight months ago.

The 35-year-old was adamant that he had not found it too stressful an experience physically or mentally.

“I did not notice any particular disturbance, so to say, mentally or in my preparation or throughout the entire match today,” he said afterwards.

“I actually looked forward to getting out on the court. I have been feeling very well on clay in the last, you know, three, four weeks, of course. Excited to bring out intensity on the court and compete with the guys.

“So, look, I’m happy to be back. Roland-Garros is one of the biggest tournaments in the world, and the memories from last year still are fresh in my head, in my mind. It was nice to be back on the centre court.”

Tennis Majors

Djokovic, ranked No 1, will face the winner of the match between Slovak Alex Molcan and Argentinian Federico Coria next.

Paris (Grand Slam): Other first-round results (Stade Roland-Garros, clay, EUR 43.600.000, most recent results first):

Marin Cilic (20) beat Attila Balazs: 6-0, 6-1, 6-2
Mikael Ymer beat James Duckworth: 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
Marton Fucsovics beat Geoffrey Blancaneaux (Q): 6-2, 6-4, 6-4
Pedro Cachin (LL) beat Norbert Gombos (Q): 6-1, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
Miomir Kecmanovic (28) beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry: 6-3, 7-5, 6-3
Mackenzie McDonald beat Franco Agamenone (LL): 1-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 [3]
Rafael Nadal (5) beat Jordan Thompson: 6-2, 6-2, 6-2
Daniel Evans (29) beat Francisco Cerundolo: 7-6 [3], 6-4, 6-4
Cameron Norrie (10) beat Manuel Guinard (WC): 7-5, 6-2, 6-0
Corentin Moutet (WC) beat Stan Wawrinka: 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 [2], 6-3
Nikoloz Basilashvili (22) beat Maxime Cressy: 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 [8], 6-4, 6-4
Brandon Nakashima beat Kamil Majchrzak: 6-4, 2-6, 4-6, 7-6 [3], 6-2
Sebastian Baez beat Dusan Lajovic: 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3

Taylor Harry Fritz (13) beat Santiago Fa Rodriguez Taverna (Q): 7-6 [2], 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
Filip Krajinovic beat Reilly Opelka (17): 7-6 [5], 6-2, 6-3
Borna Gojo (Q) beat Alessandro Giannessi (LL): 6-4, 6-7 [3], 6-7 [4], 7-6 [4], 6-4
Carlos Alcaraz (6) beat Juan Ignacio Londero (LL): 6-4, 6-2, 6-0
Bernabe Zapata Miralles (Q) beat Michael Mmoh (WC): 7-6 [7], 6-3, 7-5
Jason Murray Kubler (Q) beat Denis Kudla: 7-6 [5], 7-6 [2], 7-6 [3]
Alexander Zverev (3) beat Sebastian Ofner (Q): 6-2, 6-4, 6-4
Camilo Ugo Carabelli (Q) beat Aslan Karatsev: 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 [5]

Albert Ramos Vinolas beat Thanasi Kokkinakis: 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 [5]
Karen Khachanov (21) beat Nuno Borges (Q): 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
Fabio Fognini beat Alexei Popyrin: 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
Tallon Griekspoor beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (25): 2-6, 6-0, 6-4, 6-3
Pablo Cuevas beat Jenson Brooksby (31): 6-2, 6-1, 6-2
Felix Auger-Aliassime (9) beat Juan Pablo Varillas Patino-Samudio (Q): 2-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3
John Isner (23) beat Quentin Halys: 7-6 [3], 4-6, 7-6 [1], 7-6 [6]
Botic van de Zandschulp (26) beat Pavel Kotov (Q): 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Gregoire Barrere (WC) beat Taro Daniel: 3-6, 6-2, 0-6, 6-3, 6-4
Diego Schwartzman (15) beat Andrey Kuznetsov (Q): 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
Hugo Dellien beat Dominic Thiem: 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
Jaume Munar beat Daniel Altmaier: 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
Borna Coric beat Carlos Taberner: 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1
Grigor Dimitrov (18) beat Marcos Giron: 6-1, 6-1, 6-1
Aljaz Bedene beat Christopher O’Connell (WC): 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 [5], 6-1