NEW DELHI: Novak Djokovic overcame an early scare on Monday to launch his marketing campaign for an 11th Australian Open title and a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam crown.
The 37-year-old Serbian confronted a difficult begin towards American teenage wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy, who was making his Grand Slam predominant draw debut.
The 19-year-old surprised the Melbourne Park crowd by taking the primary set, showcasing his composure and talent.
Djokovic, initially flat-footed and struggling for solutions, step by step discovered his rhythm to safe a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory underneath the watchful eye of his new coach, Andy Murray.
Murray, who retired final 12 months, sat silently in one of many newly launched ‘teaching pods’ at Rod Laver Area. The win marked Djokovic’s 18th consecutive second-round look on the Australian Open.
Reflecting on the match, Djokovic admitted, “On the finish it was nice however I feel he was the higher participant for a set-and-a-half,” stated seventh seed Djokovic. “He deserves each little bit of applause that he received.
“These sort of matchups are all the time tough, harmful if you end up taking part in somebody who has nothing to lose. He is a really full participant.”
Within the early phases, Djokovic appeared unsure towards the athletic Basavareddy.
At 3-Three within the first set, a misjudged lob landed in, giving the American three break factors.
Basavareddy capitalized with a shocking crosscourt backhand, drawing gasps from the group.
Djokovic struggled with 11 unforced errors within the set and didn’t convert any of his three break factors, permitting Basavareddy to shut out the opener. The setback appeared to jolt Djokovic into motion.
Within the second set, he broke to guide 5-Three and held serve to stage the match, roaring in celebration. Basavareddy required remedy on his left leg through the changeover and was unable to keep up his earlier depth.
Sensing a chance, Djokovic tightened his grip on the match, sealing a hard-fought victory.
The partnership with Murray represents a contemporary chapter for Djokovic after a difficult 2024 season the place he didn’t win a serious for the primary time since 2017, with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz dominating the Grand Slams.
Though Djokovic captured Olympic gold, his struggles towards a participant ranked 107th on the earth could increase questions on his skill to compete persistently with the present era of stars.
Regardless of the shaky begin, Djokovic stays decided to surpass Margaret Court docket’s report of 24 Grand Slam titles.
He’ll face Portuguese qualifier Jaime Faria within the second spherical.
