Novak Djokovic defeated world no. 191 Enzo Couacaud in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open, but an injury bothered him once again.
The fourth-seeded Djokovic appeared to be in control of the match early on, winning the first set 6-1. However, in the second set, Djokovic's left thigh appeared to worsen and he needed medical attention.
When trailing 4-5 in the second set, the Serbian requested a medical time-out and even left the court. Once he returned, his opponent was ready to take advantage of the Serbian's injury, and he succeeded in doing so.
The Frenchman won the second set in tie-break, 7-5, and made sure there will be at least four sets played in the match. However, the 21-time Grand Slam champion showed his greatness and dominated the rest of the match.
Djokovic won the match 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-0 in two hours and 55 minutes. The victory sets up a third-round clash against the 27th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov, who he has defeated in their last eight meetings.
Djokovic's fans were relieved to see him recovering well from the injury, and many of them hoped that he would continue to play his best tennis to win the tournament. The match against Couacaud was a reminder of how resilient Djokovic can be, and that he's far from being done at the Australian Open.
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