Tennis-Djokovic canters into French Open round two as Stephens lays down marker

Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 29, 2023 Serbia's Novak Djokovic in action during his first round match against Aleksandar Kovacevic of the U.S. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

PARIS (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic launched his quest for a record-breaking 23rd men's Grand Slam singles title with a no-nonsense 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7-1) first-round victory over debutant Aleksandar Kovacevic at the French Open on Monday.

The twice Roland Garros champion breezed through the first two sets before encountering resistance from the 24-year-old American whose lack of experience then showed in the tiebreak on the world's biggest clay court.