Novak Djokovic Opens 2021 French Open Campaign with Win over Tennys Sandgren
Novak Djokovic opened his 2021 French Open account with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win over Tennys Sandgren on Tuesday at Roland Garros in Paris.
The No. 1 player in the world is now through to the second round for the 17th straight year.
Djokovic was dialed in as he prepared for the second Grand Slam of the season. He reached the final of the Italian Open, losing to Rafael Nadal in three sets, and rebounded with a win at the Belgrade Open.
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The 18-time Grand Slam champion wasn't in a mood to mess around against Sandgren.
He earned a service break in the first game of the match, which helped him build a 3-1 lead. Another break put him up 5-2 as he cruised to take the first frame.
Sandgren did have moments where he pressed Djokovic. The two had a long rally in the opening game of the second set that ended in a backhand passing shot for Gallatin, Tennessee, native.
For the most part, Sandgren was overmatched, though. He pushed Djokovic harder in the second set, but dropping serve in the first game once again proved costly. Djokovic, on the other hand, faced six break-point situations and averted disaster each time.
Once Sandgren fell behind two sets to none, that was effectively the match.
The 29-year-old had success attacking Djokovic early in points, especially on serve. The 2016 French Open champion gained a significant advantage if a prolonged rally began, though. That was evident in the final numbers.
According to the French Open's official site, Sandgren won 42 of 68 points between zero and four shots. When points extended to between five and eight shots, Djokovic won 31 points, more than double Sandgren's 15.
Having the higher seed perform below his or her usual level is part of the recipe for an upset. Djokovic didn't provide that luxury to his opponent, collecting 33 winners to 21 unforced errors.
The 2009 French Open was the last time Djokovic failed to reach at least the quarterfinals, and it looks like that streak will continue. Based on how he looked Tuesday, anything short of another finals appearance might be considered a disappointment.
What's Next?
Djokovic will play Pablo Cuevas of Argentina in the second round. This will be their first meeting at an ATP Tour event.
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