Monte Carlo: World No 1 Novak Djokovic flew past Roman Safiullin in straight sets at the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday.
After receiving a bye in the first round, Djokovic was imperious on the main Rainier III court as he won 6-1, 6-2 against the unseeded Russian.
The Serb need just one hour and 10 minutes to make a return to winning ways in his first match since a shock early exit at Indian Wells to Italian Luca Nardi.
The 36-year-old became the oldest world No 1 in the history of the ATP rankings when he took to the court in Monte Carlo.
But there was no sign of Djokovic feeling his age as he broke Safiullin’s serve twice to race into a 4-0 lead in the first set.
Djokovic went on to break his opponent’s serve five times over the course of a routine win and now faces a third-round meeting with either Lorenzo Musetti or rising French starlet Arthur Fils.
Earlier in the day, American Sebastian Korda, the man responsible for that defeat in 2022, stormed past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1, 6-2 in the first round.
De Minaur dismisses Wawrinka
After a rain-hit morning causing a two-and-a-half-hour delay to the day’s play, world No 11 Alex de Minaur made up for lost time with a 62-minute straight sets win over Stan Wawrinka.
The 39-year-old wild card Wawrinka, formerly ranked no. 3 in the world but now down to no. 79, was no match in the first round for the Australian who prevailed 6-3, 6-0.
Wawrinka, the 2014 champion in Monte Carlo and a three-time Grand Slam winner, made 28 unforced errors to De Minaur’s 18 and landed just four winners to the 12 made by his opponent.
In the next round, De Minaur, who won this year’s title on the hard courts in Acapulco, will face Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor.
Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut beat lucky loser Facundo Diaz Acosta 6-2, 6-4, while China’s Zhang Zhizhen won in three sets against Marcos Giron of the United States.
The 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz overcame Britain’s Jack Draper after nearly two and a half hours on court to reach the second round, winning 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2).
After winning a first title in two injury-hit years in Marrakesh on Sunday, Italian Matteo Berrettini’s run in Monte Carlo was cut short by Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-1.
