2023-05-29 17:59:12
Djokovic loose in round two – Alcaraz follows suit
Djokovic masters the first round without any problems © AFP/SID/EMMANUEL DUNAND
Grand Slam record winner Novak Djokovic didn’t show any weakness in the first round of the French Open – and Carlos Alcaraz followed suit.
Grand Slam record winner Novak Djokovic (Serbia) did not show any weakness in the first round of the French Open – and Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) followed suit. Against the debutant Aleksandar Kovacevic (24 / USA), Djokovic only had problems in the third set and finally won 6: 3, 6: 2, 7: 6 (7: 1). The third in the world rankings meets unseeded Marton Fucsovics from Hungary in the second round.
“I played the first two sets quite well, then I lost concentration a bit,” said Djokovic: “I started the tournament well and still have some room for improvement.” That certainly also applies to Alcaraz, who was clearly superior to the Italian qualification Flavio Cobolli for long stretches and won 6:0, 6:2, 7:5.
Djokovic is aiming for the third title in Roland Garros after 2016 and 2021 and, in the absence of his permanent rival Rafael Nadal, wants to become the sole record holder with 23 Grand Slam successes.
Last year Djokovic failed in the quarterfinals against Nadal. This time the 20-year-old Spaniard Alcaraz is the main competitor in the fight for the title in Roland Garros. Djokovic and Alcaraz would already meet in the semifinals.
Minutes before Djokovic’s victory, the first top ten player left the tournament. Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada), number nine on the seed list, lost in three sets against the strong Italian Fabio Fognini. Two-time Paris finalist Dominic Thiem lost to Argentinian Pedro Cachin in five sets.
Old champion Stan Wawrinka from Switzerland, tournament winner in 2015, fought in a thriller with 7: 6 (7: 5), 6: 4, 6: 7 (2: 7), 1: 6, 6: 4 against the Spaniard Albert Ramos Vinolas by.
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