Djokovic shrugs off troubles at French Open
Defending champion Novak Djokovic shrugged off his recent troubles to sweep to his 93rd career win at the French Open on Tuesday, extending his run of first round Roland Garros victories to a perfect 20. Djokovic, chasing a fourth title in Paris and record 25th Grand Slam triumph, came through against 142nd-ranked French wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 7-6 [7/3], 6-4. The 37-year-old, who saw career-long rival and 14-time champion Rafael Nadal exit the tournament on Monday, had arrived under a cloud. For the first time since 2018, he is without a title and has yet to reach a final this season. "It's a victory in three sets, that's what matters at this moment. I felt better compared to the last few weeks. I was focused. I encouraged myself, I am satisfied with my state of mind," said Djokovic Djokovic, who has advanced to the French Open quarter-finals or better every year since 2010, will face Spain's 63rd-ranked Roberto Carballes Baena for a place in the last 32. Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, a semi-finalist in 2023, over-powered Russian teenager Erika Andreeva 6-1, 6-2 in just 68 minutes under the roof of Court Philippe Chatrier as heavy rain caused a five-hour delay to action around the grounds. "I'm trying to do well on clay, it is tough conditions here but I enjoy playing here and I'm just trying to bring my best tennis every time -- whatever the surface," said Sabalenka. There was better luck for Andreeva's younger sister Mirra, who went to the fourth round as a 16-year-old in 2023. She swept past Emina Bektas of the United States in straights sets. Two-time runner-up Casper Ruud, who won clay-court titles in Barcelona and Geneva in the build-up to Roland Garros, cruised to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Brazilian qualifier Felipe Meligeni Alves. Frenchwoman Alize Cornet's career ended with a straight-sets defeat by Zheng Qinwen in her record-extending 69th consecutive Grand Slam appearance. Cornet was no match for China's Australian Open runner-up Zheng, losing 6-2, 6-1. (AFP)