French Open: Novak Djokovic beats Herbert in three sets
Novak Djokovic has reached the second round of the 2024 French Open. He beat local hero Pierre-Hugues Herbert in three sets.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit:
May 28, 2024, 11:17 pm
The score was 6:4, 7:6 (3), 6:4 after 2 hours and 31 minutes of play, in an entertaining game.
Djokovic started strongly, managed to break early and carried it through; in the second set he also took Herbert's serve, but immediately conceded the rebreak. Herbert now managed to get his offensive through more often, while Djokovic lacked a bit of power, but in the tiebreak he picked up the pace again.
Herbert continued to annoy Djokovic in the third set, varying his slice and net attacks. At 5:4, however, Djokovic showed all his consistency, despite a moment of shock when he slipped on the way to a stop. But then came a brilliant backhand passing shot from the run, and Herbert made a double fault on the match point...
"In the third set, I didn't really find my return position," said Djokovic in an on-court interview (in French, to the delight of the spectators). "But I knew how important the tiebreak was, so I concentrated even more. And played my best tennis in the important moments."
Djokovic will now face Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena, number 63 in the world.
You can follow the match in the live ticker here.
Will Djokovic be able to turn things around in Paris?
Djokovic is hoping for a positive turnaround in his mixed season so far in Paris. The world number one has not yet reached a final in 2024, let alone won a title. At the Australian Open, he was eliminated in the semifinals by eventual winner Jannik Sinner, followed by a sensational defeat in Indian Wells against Italian qualifier Luca Nardi.
Even on clay, Djokovic has so far been lagging behind his form.
Last year he won Roland-Garros for the third time in his career, in the final against Casper Ruud.
Rune and Fritz in round 2
Previously, Holger Rune and Taylor Fritz, among others, had reached the second round. Rune beat Dan Evans 6:4, 6:4, 6:4, Fritz beat Federico Coria 2:6, 6:1, 6:2, 6:1.
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