Paris: Novak Djokovic began the defence of his French Open title, and partnership with Andre Agassi, with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Spain’s Marcel Granollers on Monday.
It was the perfect way to mark his 50th successive Grand Slam appearance but there is still work to do for the world No. 2 whose form has dropped off since he completed the career Grand Slam in Paris 12 months ago.
“Andre has left already. He’s waiting for me for a serious talk,” joked the 30-year-old after seeing off Granollers for the fourth time.
Djokovic dropped served four times and required nine set points to claim the second set against a player who had only won 10 games in their previous three encounters.
The Serb, seeking to become the first man in the Open era to win all four majors on at least two occasions, eventually wrapped up matters on Court Philippe Chatrier after two and a half hours.
“It’s great to have Andre Agassi as coach and as a mentor. I will try to learn as much as I can from him,” added Djokovic.
Djokovic faces either compatriot Janko Tipsarevic or Portugal’s Joao Sousa for a place in the last 32.
Rafael Nadal launched his quest for a record 10th French Open title with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 win over Frenchman Benoit Paire.
Nadal, who was forced to withdraw before last year’s third round with a wrist injury, broke Paire eight times to brush aside the world number 45 in less than two hours.
“I’m very happy to be back here after what happened last year. It’s great to feel the support,” said the 14-time major champion.
Nadal dominated the opening set, then recovered from a slight second-set wobble when he dropped serve twice in a row to surge into a round two meeting with Dutchman Robin Haase.
The Spaniard, whose last Grand Slam triumph came at Roland Garros in 2014, improved his incredible French Open record to 73 wins and just two losses.
Nadal lost this year’s Australian Open final in a five-set epic to Roger Federer, but the 30-year-old has marked himself out as the favourite on his preferred surface.
The fourth seed arrives in Paris with three clay-court titles to his name this season — winning both Monte Carlo and Barcelona for a 10th time, while securing a fifth Madrid Masters crown.
And America’s Steve Johnson wept as he paid tribute to his late father, describing his French Open first-round victory as “one the hardest matches I’ve played”.
Steve Johnson senior, a widely-respected coach of more than 30 years in California, passed away suddenly earlier in May. He was just 58.
His son admitted he had suffered a rollercoaster of emotions as he came back on Monday to defeat Japan’s Yuichi Sugita in a five-set match held over from Sunday night.
“Just a lot of the emotions. You know, my dad he was such a big part of my tennis life, just an emotional time. Yeah, it’s not about tennis right now,” said the American 25th seed.
Johnson admitted it had been tough to keep playing in Europe after his father passed away but had been buoyed but by the presence of his mother, sister and fiancee in Paris.
“My mom and sister had this whole trip planned for years now. She graduated college and they were going to come here and kind of follow me to Queen’s in London and then go back before she starts work,” said Johnson.
“They are here, so it makes it easier and harder all at the same time to see them. Just the pain and you just try to get through it. It’s just hard.”
Johnson, 27, eventually saw off Sugita 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-7 (4/7), 6-3 having had match points on Sunday when darkness halted the tie after six games of the fourth set.
“It was one of the harder matches I’ve played,” added the world number 26.
“At the end of the third set yesterday, the emotions kind of hit me pretty hard and I was lucky to have the night to figure it out.
“But the last two weeks haven’t been about tennis for me. So just trying to do the right things and move on as best as I can.”
