Novak Djokovic survived a scare to reach the second round of the Australian Open, where he is chasing tennis history.
Djokovic could face Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open, but up next is a round two meeting with Portugal’s Jaime Faria.
The Serbian is not only chasing a record-extending 11th Australian Open title and a 100th ATP Tour title, but a record 25th Grand Slam title.
John McEnroe can’t believe Andy Murray is coaching Djokovic in Melbourne, but the pair have gotten off to a winning start.
Murray was animated throughout the first round clash against Nishesh Basavareddy, who certainly made Djokovic work hard for the win.
Mats Wilander says Novak Djokovic can win the Australian Open
The American teenager took the first set at Rod Laver Arena, but the veteran recovered to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
And having tuned into the match, former world number one Mats Wilander has predicted how far Djokovic can go, having said on Eurosport: “It is a Novak that can go far in this competition although he will need to play much better than he did in the first set and a half.
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“I think he was a little surprised too. But with someone like him it’s not important to play well. It’s important to get through and not spend four or five hours on court. In the end he served brilliantly, he was moving brilliantly, and he never looked threatened really or tired.
“It’s a Novak Djokovic who can win the tournament, definitely, but it’s dangerous to lose the first set against the better players. So he has to be a bit sharper early on. He looks good.”
Novak Djokovic doesn’t need to panic after Australian Open first round win
Djokovic won’t be grateful for how hard he was pushed by the youngster, but he will be glad that the match didn’t go beyond the three-hour mark, having fallen just a minute short.
Carlos Alcaraz, however, stormed past Alexander Shevchenko in less than two hours, although Daniil Medvedev needed three hours and eight minutes to beat Kasidit Samrej.
Djokovic and Murray will now be hard at work ironing out the creases in his game, although rustiness can certainly be expected at this early stage of the competition and indeed the season in general.
The Serbian will, however, be disappointed with his four double faults and 41 unforced errors, with a break points won total of just 36%.
Djokovic’s path to the final is only going to get more difficult, so the relatively easier early stages are certainly the time to try and solve any glaring issues, meaning the pressure is not on just yet.
The 37-year-old has more Australian Open titles and more Grand Slam titles than any other man, but the new generation of stars could prove a real problem as the tournament progresses.
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