Djokovic crushes Ymer as Pliskova also advances
Novak Djokovic got his quest for an 18th Grand Slam title back on track as he commenced his French Open campaign with a drama-free 6-0 6-2 6-3 victory over Mikael Ymer on Tuesday.
Little over three weeks since Djokovic was defaulted in the US Open fourth round for hitting a line judge with a ball, he was a model of self-control as he outclassed the young Swede.
It was as gentle a return to the Grand Slam spotlight as the 33year-old top seed could have wished for as he charmed the tiny audience with his silky repertoire.
The first set took only 20 minutes as Ymer struggled to even lay a glove on the 2016 champion.
Djokovic did drop serve early in the second set when a drop shot fell short but there was no tetchy response this time, just an ironic chuckle.
It was one-way traffic as Djokovic polished off the second set with his trademark clean hitting. He next faces Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis.
Meanwhile Czech second seed Karolina Pliskova managed to rein in her errors and found a way past battling Egyptian qualifier Mayar Sherif with a 6-7(9) 6-2 6-4 victory in her opener.
Pliskova had 27 unforced errors and hit six double faults in the first set under the open roof of Court Philippe Chatrier as the 24-year-old Sherif, making her Grand Slam main draw debut, saved eight set points to win in the tiebreaker.
Former world No 1 Pliskova improved dramatically in the second to level the match with three breaks of her opponent’s service games, and a crucial break in the seventh game of the decider proved enough.
Pliskova, who retired in the final in Rome with injury before coming to Paris, sealed the match with an ace and will next meet 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko, who earlier had defeated American Madison
Brengle 6-2 6-1.
It has been pretty much boom-or-bust for Ostapenko at Roland Garros and the Latvian said she was striving for consistency after registering her only victory at the French Open outside her championship run in 2017.
The only time the 23-year-old did not lose her opening main draw match at Roland Garros, she went on to win the title as an unseeded player.
“I just have to be more confident in my game and more consistent. If there is consistency in my game, I think I’m going to be a very dangerous player and it’s not going to be easy to beat me,” said Ostapenko, who was ranked fifth in 2018.
“That’s what I’m working on, my consistency.”
Ostapenko, currently ranked 43rd, dismantled American Brengle in just over an hour.
“After I won it was a tough time,” Ostapenko said. “I had to get used to the pressure but now it’s all gone, and finally I won my first match after two years of not winning a match here. I’m really happy.
“First rounds are always tough and you get tight sometimes. I felt really well today. Hopefully I can keep it up.”
Ostapenko was aggressive from the start and broke her opponent’s serve seven times.
She found 46 winners, compared to just six that Brengle managed, while also having 22 unforced errors more than her 78th-ranked opponent.
Teenage Danish qualifier Clara Tauson caused a shock as she beat American 21st seed Jennifer Brady 6-4 3-6 9-7 in the opening round.
The powerful 17-year-old, making her main draw debut in Grand Slams with a ranking of 188, played fearless tennis to edge out the recent US Open semi-finalist.
Tauson, who is this year’s Australian Open junior champion, blasted 48 winners