Djokovic Recovers From Stuttering Start to Reach Monte Carlo Round 3

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning his second round match against Russia's Ivan Gakhov at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters at Monte-Carlo Country Club in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, on April 11, 2023. Eric Gaillard/Reuters

Novak Djokovic briefly ran into a spot of bother as he fought his way into the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters with a 7–6(5) 6–2 victory against Russian qualifier Ivan Gakhov on Tuesday.

The world number one, who had not played since early March when he reached the final in Dubai after being forced to skip Indian Wells and Miami because of his COVID unvaccinated status, struggled to find his range on the Monte Carlo clay before prevailing on a sunlit centre court.