Djokovic beats former coach's new pupil at French Open / Photo: Thomas SAMSON - AFP
Djokovic beats former coach's new pupil at French Open
World number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic eased into the French Open third round on Wednesday by defeating the new pupil of his former long-time coach.
Top seed Djokovic saw off Slovakia's Alex Molcan, who is coached by Marian Vajda, the man who inspired most of his 20 Slam titles, 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).
Djokovic fired 10 aces and 40 winners past his 38th-ranked opponent and will next face Slovenia's Aljaz Bedene for a place in the last 16.
"It was a real pleasure to play on Court Suzanne Lenglen. I don't have a lot of opportunities to play here," said the 35-year-old.
"I could feel the support. There were tricky conditions today with a lot of wind coming in different directions.
"So I had to stay focused and stay patient."
"I have a lot of respect for Alex, he's a specialist on this surface."
M.F.Burton--MC-UK
