Monte Carlo [Monaco]: With a masterful start in the Monte-Carlo Masters opener, World No.1 Novak Djokovic moved past Roman Safiullin 6-1, 6-2 at the Court Rainier III to reach the third round in the Principality for the 14th time on Tuesday.
He hammered consistently from both wings and pressured Safiullin into errors with his depth of shots, allowing him to progress after an hour and ten minutes. The 98-time tour-level champion has won Monte-Carlo twice, in 2013 and 2015. In the third round, he'll face either Frenchman Arthur Fils or Lorenzo Musetti.
"I am very pleased. I think even the games that I lost I had break points in those games. It is a really great first match at the start of the clay season. It has always been a little bit up and down. Last year as well, I started off well at this tournament and the second match I lost, so I hope to maintain this rhythm. I have a day tomorrow of training and I hope to come out in a few days time with the same attitude and quality of tennis," Djokovic said as quoted by ATP.
Djokovic immediately acclimated to the thick conditions resulting from the morning rain. He sped through the first four games, leading 4-0, and finished the first set in 33 minutes. The World No. 1 maintained his dominance in the second set, finishing with a 16-9 winner-to-unforced mistake ratio. Turning 37 next month, Djokovic passed Roger Federer on Sunday to become the oldest World No. 1 in ATP Rankings history.