MELBOURNE (Australia): Defending champion Novak Djokovic said he felt great to start the Australian Open after he breezed past Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 romp in just 91 minutes on Monday.
The Serbian world number one is bidding for an unprecedented ninth Australian Open title.
“It felt great. I mean, I started the match really well, broke his serve and was pretty much a flawless match,” he said.
Djokovic clinched his 17th Grand Slam in last year’s gripping Melbourne final against Dominic Thiem.
“Especially on my service games, I was very dominant. Just overall, I think every shot that I executed tonight was really good and on a high level. I’m very pleased with the way I opened up the Australian Open,” added Djokovic.
Djokovic, chasing an 18th Slam crown to close in on the 20 held by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, has likened his relationship with the Australian Open to “a love affair”.
And he clearly enjoyed himself, dishing up a masterclass for the socially-distanced fans in the stadium.
“It feels great, so great to see people back in the stadium,” he said. “I’m really glad to see a lot of people actually — this is the most I’ve seen on a tennis court in 12 months. Sometimes we take these things (crowds) for granted, but very very grateful to see you all.”
