PARIS (AP) — Ignore the straight-set score: Novak Djokovic was not quite at his impervious best in the first round of the French Open on Tuesday night, and his 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over Pierre-Hugues Herbert might not have been enough to alter the d
PARIS — Ignore the straight-set score: Novak Djokovic was not quite at his impervious best in the first round of the French Open on Tuesday night, and his 6-4, 7-6 , 6-4 win over Pierre-Hugues Herbert might not have been enough to alter the defending champion's “low expectations” at this tournament.
So when he spoke at a news conference on Sunday, Djokovic described his mindset heading into the French Open this way: “Low expectations and high hopes.” Then he pointed out, “Anything but a title, for me, is not satisfactory,” which is understandable given his remarkable resume. A day after sitting in the Chatrier stands to watch rival Rafael Nadal's first-round loss against Alexander Zverev, Djokovic was competing in the chill of a 60-degree evening , and he did not always look happy. He rolled his head back after one miss while making four groundstroke mistakes to get broken early in the second set. He repeatedly gestured to the ballkids to go ahead and give him the balls already so he could prepare to serve.
Still, the statistic that truly mattered was the one that shows Djokovic is now 69-0 in opening matches at Slam events since starting his career with a 3-2 mark in first-rounders.The first round closed on a day during which rain delayed play for several hours early in the day on all but the two principal courts, which are outfitted with retractable roofs.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Tennis-Djokovic worried about French Open title defenceExplore stories from Atlantic Canada.
Read more »
Djokovic enters French Open with 'low expectations and high hopes'Novak Djokovic has yet to win a title this season. Hasn't even reached a final. His schedule has been lighter than usual, and so has his record, which is just 14-6 entering the French Open.
Read more »
Novak Djokovic begins his bid for a 25th Grand Slam title with a first-round French Open winPARIS (AP) — Ignore the straight-set score: Novak Djokovic was not quite at his impervious best in the first round of the French Open on Tuesday night, and his 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over Pierre-Hugues Herbert might not have been enough to alter the d
Read more »
Novak Djokovic begins his bid for a 25th Grand Slam title with a first-round French Open winPARIS (AP) — Ignore the straight-set score: Novak Djokovic was not quite at his impervious best in the first round of the French Open on Tuesday night, and his 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over Pierre-Hugues Herbert might not have been enough to alter the d
Read more »
Rafael Nadal to face No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev in French Open first roundThis year’s tournament is expected to be Nadal’s last appearance at Roland Garros, and he had been coy about whether he would compete after two seasons of off-and-on action because of injuries
Read more »
Tennis-Ostapenko battles past Cristian in French Open first roundExplore stories from Atlantic Canada.
Read more »