by Kingsley Elliot Kaye
Novak Djokovic has begun his title defence at the French Open in clinical fashion after defeating Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 6-1, 6-0, in his opening match.
Nishioka had never ventured beyond the second round at Roland Garros, which he reached in 2019, 2020, 2021. In the first occasion he lost to Del Potro in 5 sets, then to Gaston, and in 2021 to Musetti after previously disappointing French crowds putting away Tsonga in the first round. On Monday evening he walked onto the Philippe Chatrier court still to win a match on clay in the ongoing season.
With Djokovic looking to revive his goosebumps of his 2021 triumph and thriving with form, not an easy endeavour for the 26 year-old Japanese, ranked 99 with a career best of 48.
Nishioka started his match not only putting up a brave resistance but turning it into aggression. Such strategy earned him three break points in the opening game. The first was saved by Djokovic with an inside-out forehand winner after a 21-shot rally. The second and third were erased just as emphatically with an ace and a flying volley. Djokovic closed the game off with 2 aces.
In the early stages Djokovic appeared slightly bothered by Nishioka’s left handed lifted balls and aggressive returns on second serve, as well as struggling with a dissatisfactory racquet grip.
He did not lose focus though, while tailoring his game to find the tactical key
The set went with serve until the sixth game when Nishioka, in spite of some great scuttling, lost his serve with a double fault.
Djokovic by then was successfully choosing to counter lift rather than dictate from the start of the rallies, eliciting more unforced errors and setting up points with the Japanese’s balls falling shorter and easier to pounce and pound on.
After missing a first set point on Nishioka’s serve in the eighth game, Djokovic pocketed the set 6-3. His six aces perhaps the most impressive statistical figure.
The storyline in the second set was quite different with two drop shots giving the Serb an early break.
Nishioka still found the grit to reach break point in the second game but Djokovic once more erased it with his seventh ace and went on to hold. This time cracks appeared in his opponent’s resistance and he took a second and third break. A concentration lapse by the Serbian when serving at 5-0 allowed Nishioka to avoid the bagel, but not a fourth following break which handed the set to the top seed.
The third set turned out to be a competitive training session, with Djokovic mixing up his game and enjoying occasional forays to the net, as well as polishing his drop shots. He just had to save a break point in the third game, which arrived out of the blue from a brief string of unforced errors. After that glitch Djokovic seemed determined not to concede further chances, reasoning and fighting on each point, alternating defence and aggression, pace and direction, proving that no shot is missing in his repertoire. In the fourth game Nishioka valiantly saved three break points but surrendered on the fourth. A few minutes later Djokovic closed his impressive night performance with a leaping smash, vintage champagne tennis.
“I have to be pleased with the start. It was difficult to go through him until I got used to and adapted to his game. He’s very quick, one of the quickest players on the tour,” said Djokovic.
“This is the first time that we have 100% capacity, so of course it was fun. At night, usually in all slams, all tournaments, the atmosphere is more energetic, more electric, and the crowd gets into it. It was a good experience.” He added.
In his next match Djokovic will be facing either Federico Coria or Alex Molcan. Both are well suited to clay and will deliver a tougher challenge.
