Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading

Djokovic beats former coach's new pupil at French Open

In charge: Novak Djokovic celebrates after beating Alex Molcan . ©AFP

Paris (AFP) - World number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic eased into the French Open third round on Wednesday by defeating the new pupil of his former long-time coach.

Top seed Djokovic saw off Slovakia's Alex Molcan, who is coached by Marian Vajda, the man who inspired most of his 20 Slam titles, 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).

Djokovic fired 10 aces and 40 winners past his 38th-ranked opponent and will next face Slovenia's Aljaz Bedene for a place in the last 16.

"It was a real pleasure to play on Court Suzanne Lenglen.I don't have a lot of opportunities to play here," said the 35-year-old.

"I could feel the support.There were tricky conditions today with a lot of wind coming in different directions.

"So I had to stay focused and stay patient."

"I have a lot of respect for Alex, he's a specialist on this surface."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.