- Novak Djokovic started his title defense at the French Open with a straight-set win
- He brushed off the challenge from home competitor Pierre-Hugues Herbert
- The Serbian was booed by the crowd after taking a nasty fall into the net
Novak Djokovic got the defense of his Roland Garros title off to a solid, if unspectacular, start with a straight-sets victory over French wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
The world number one said he arrived at Roland Garros with “low hopes and high expectations” after suffering a number of unusual defeats this year.
The crowd at Court Philippe Chatrier probably felt much the same way about their man’s chances, with Herbert at a modest 142 in the rankings.
And so it happened, as a disappointing overnight match went the way of the 24-time Grand Slam champion: 6-4 7-6 (3) 6-4.
The only moment of mild drama came deep into the third set, when Djokovic took a nasty fall at the net and was booed by the always friendly Parisian crowd as he dried himself off.
“C’est normal, l’ambiance,” he said, addressing the crowd afterwards, before translating the comment as: “It’s normal, the atmosphere. Merci pour l’ambiance (thanks for the atmosphere).’
Novak Djokovic started his title defense at Roland Garros with a victory in straight sets
He beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4 7-6 (3) 6-4 to get going and arrived with ‘low expectations’