Novak Djokovic overcomes a slow start and hostile crowd in 1st-round win at French Open

PARIS (AP) — At age 39, Novak Djokovic can still wear opponents down.

Even opponents nearly half his age — and in front of a hostile crowd.

Djokovic came back from a set down for a 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 victory over 22-year-old home player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round of the French Open on Sunday in his record 82nd Grand Slam appearance.

“Obviously playing a French player, center court at Roland Garros is never so easy. The crowd gets into it and then you feel the pressure even more,” Djokovic said after the 2 hour, 51-minute encounter. “But all in all it was a good match to be part of: Three hours, just what the doctor ordered at age 39.”

Grunting during long rallies and digging deep on the opening night session on Court Philippe-Chatrier, it wasn’t until 1 hour, 45 minutes in that Djokovic finally found a way to break his 6-foot-7 (2.01-meter) opponent and even the match at a set all.

The crowd was pumped for a potential stunner — after all, Djokovic hasn’t lost in the first round of a Grand Slam in 20 years. But after two tense sets, Mpetshi Perricard seemed deflated of energy.

Djokovic, meanwhile, was just getting warmed up in only his second match on clay this year. In his other match on the surface this season, Djokovic lost to Croatian qualifier Dino Prižmić at the Italian Open after two months out due to a right shoulder injury.

Just by stepping on court two days after his 39th birthday, Djokovic set the men’s record for most Grand Slams contested — one more than Roger Federer and Feliciano Lopez. Djokovic has won a record 24 of those 82 Grand Slams.

Djokovic also tied French players Richard Gasquet and Antoine Gentian with a men’s record 22nd appearance at Roland Garros. He has reached at least the quarterfinals in 19 of the last 20 editions and raised the Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy in 2016, 2021 and 2023.

Djokovic taunts the pro-French crowd

The 80th-ranked Mpetshi Perricard had plenty of crowd support and the fans erupted into chants of “Gio-vanni, Gio-vanni, Gio-vanni” when he ripped a forehand winner on his fourth break point to conclude a long rally during a tense game at 5-5 in the first set. Mpetshi Perricard then finished the set off with consecutive aces — the first of which clocked in at 223 kph (139 mph).

Djokovic said afterward that Mpetshi Perricard — who he played for the first time — has “one of the most tremendous serves in terms of precision and speed that I have ever faced in my career.”

Djokovic couldn’t convert a break point until his 10th try when he concluded the second set with a drop shot that Mpetshi Perricard couldn’t get back. Then Djokovic held his hand to his ear to taunt the pro-French crowd.

Late in the fourth set after he pulled off a delicate half-volley winner, Djokovic skipped back to the baseline in apparent glee. And when it was over, Djokovic performed a celebratory wiggle on the baseline.

Djokovic can’t meet Sinner until the final

Despite his reduced schedule of late, it should be remembered that Djokovic reached this year’s Australian Open final where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz and has made the semifinals or better at five straight Grand Slams.

With Alcaraz, the two-time reigning French Open champion, sitting out Roland Garros and Wimbledon with an injured right wrist, Djokovic sees a chance for himself in the lower half of the draw. He would meet top-ranked Jannik Sinner, who is on a 29-match winning streak, only in the final.

Along with 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka, who is playing in his final French Open, Djokovic is the only former men’s singles champion competing in Paris.

Match-fixing whistleblower

Djokovic wasn’t the only player at an advanced age in the win column at Roland Garros on Sunday.

Marco Trungelliti, who at 36 recently became the oldest man in the professional era (since 1969) to break into the top 100 of the rankings, beat Kyrian Jacquet 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.

“I’m reaching my peak (at) 36,” Trungelliti said.

Trungelitti partly attributed his late development to being ostracized from the tennis tour years ago when he became a whistleblower against match-fixing in the sport.

“Really hurt me back then,” said Trungelitti, who still lives in exile in Andorra and feels uncomfortable going home to Argentina. “I was very innocent in the sense that I was expecting that the system would help me out a little bit, and it was completely the opposite.

“The whole package of institutions were never there, and they are still not there,” Trungelitti added. “I have a spine in my heart, and it’s going to be there forever.”

Sorana Cirstea, another 36-year-old who this week became the oldest player to make her debut in the top 20, beat 17-year-old Ksenia Efremova 6-3, 6-1.

And on Monday, 41-year-old Wawrinka will play Jesper De Jong.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis