Djokovic shines with superb tennis in Adelaide after doubles disappointment

Novak Djokovic won his first singles match of the 2023 season, beating Constant Lestienne at the 2023 Adelaide International.

Djokovic elected to begin the 2023 season on the doubles court and it wasn't a successful start for him. The experienced Serbian lost alongside Vasek Pospisil at the ATP 250 event in Adelaide, despite the two enjoying the time spent on the court together.

However, after a disappointing start to the season in doubles, Djokovic focused on his main discipline, the singles event at the 2023 Adelaide International.

In the first round of the tournament, the highest-seeded Djokovic took on Constant Lestienne from France. The No. 65 player on the ATP Tour showed a bit of resistance in the first set as he was the first player to have a chance of breaking his opponent.

Lestienne had an advantage on Djokovic's serve at 2-2, but he couldn't use that chance. After failing to use his one and only chance not only in the first set but also in the match, the French player just looked as his opponent kept winning one point after another.

The 21-time Grand Slam champion showed his greatness, broke Lestienne's serve in the very next game, and won the first set 6-3 in just 39 minutes.

Djokovic pushed his level even further in the second set as he started by winning the first four games. Then, the Frenchman managed to win a game to avoid a bagel against the Serbian, but he couldn't complicate the match in any meaningful way.

Djokovic eventually won 6-3, 6-2, and secured the second-round spot at the 2023 Adelaide International. He will meet another French player, Quentin Halys, in the second round. The Serbian can then meet the seventh-seeded Denis Shapovalov in the quarter-finals and No. 3 seed Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals.