Novak Djokovic extended his perfect record against French players at Roland Garros with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) win over Corentin Moutet to reach the third round on Thursday.
It was largely plain sailing for the 38-year-old Djokovic although he did have to save a set point to force a tie-break in the third set. That came after the 24-time Grand Slam champion took a medical timeout earlier in the set to receive treatment for a blister on his left foot.
“Things got a little bit complicated with the blister. That was bothering me for a bit,” said Djokovic. “But I don’t think it’s going to be an issue for me to recover.” Just when Moutet threatened to prolong the match, Djokovic clicked back into gear — a day after a nighttime cycle around the Arc de Triomphe — to improve to 12-0 against Frenchmen at Roland Garros.
“Obviously atmosphere was electric, especially in that third set. He was close to win it, so the crowd got involved. And it was, yeah, not much fun for me,” said Djokovic. He is through to the last 32 in Paris for the 20th time, more than even 14-time champion Rafael Nadal managed.