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Novak Djokovic cruises through Monte-Carlo opener

By Harry Floyd

MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - APRIL 16: Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after his singles match against Dusan Lajovic of Serbia during day two of ATP Masters Series: Monte Carlo Rolex Masters at Monte-Carlo Sporting Club on April 16, 2018 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - APRIL 16: Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after his singles match against Dusan Lajovic of Serbia during day two of ATP Masters Series: Monte Carlo Rolex Masters at Monte-Carlo Sporting Club on April 16, 2018 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic wins his opener at the 2018 Monte-Carlo Masters. He is continuing his return from injury.

Novak Djokovic has been one of several top players to suffer from lingering injuries throughout the past year. His right elbow got the best of him in recent months but the former world No. 1 and tennis great remains steadfast in his return to the 2018 ATP World Tour. Playing sporadically in recent months, Djokovic has shown signs of success. Now, he cruises through his opener at the Monte-Carlo Masters. Earlier this year, Nole reached the round of 16 at the Australian Open. While he is always a favorite at the first Grand Slam of the calendar year, Djokovic’s injury issues caught up to him in his match against Hyeon Chung.

The ninth seeded Djokovic wins his opener against fellow countryman Dušan Lajović.

Djokovic wins the match with ease, going 6-0, 6-1 over the qualifier. Despite somewhat limited play as of late, the Serbian superstar remains high in the singles rankings. He is the current world No. 13 and on the verge of breaking back into the ATP Top 10. A 3-3 singles match record coming into action at Monte-Carlo shows that the former world No. 1 has held his own while returning to competitive play on the ATP World Tour. His previous performances at the Masters 1000 event make him someone to watch moving forward. Rafael Nadal may be the heavy favorite, but Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka are the only other champions at the tournament in more than a decade. Nadal, like Djokovic, has struggled with ongoing injuries over the past year. Monte-Carlo ought to be a good test for him.

Novak Djokovic is a two-time champion in men’s singles at the Monte-Carlo Masters. He took the title in both 2013 and 2015.

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Top seed Nadal is in action on Wednesday at the event. Other top contenders including Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, and David Goffin are also yet to play their openers. Stay tuned to see how Novak Djokovic and others progress at the 2018 Monte-Carlo Masters this week.

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