<p class="title">Novak Djokovic needed 10 match points to claim a hard-fought straight-sets victory over the dangerous Borna Coric on Wednesday, setting up a Monte Carlo Masters third-round clash with Dominic Thiem.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The 12-time Grand Slam champion, playing only his fourth tournament since Wimbledon last July after struggling with a right elbow injury, overcame some late nerves to win 7-6 (7/2), 7-5.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Djokovic is working with long-time former coach Marian Vajda for the first time in almost a year after splitting from Andre Agassi, and the 30-year-old has looked rejuvenated in Monaco after early exits in Indian Wells and Miami.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Serbian will next face Austrian fifth seed Thiem with a possible quarterfinal against defending champion Rafael Nadal.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The first game set the tone for the rest of the match, with Djokovic eventually holding after nine minutes of bruising baseline rallies that included a missed break point for Coric.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The 21-year-old Croatian also saved a break point in his first service game, but could not fend off Djokovic for long as the two-time Monte Carlo winner moved 3-1 ahead when Coric mishit a smash.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Coric has been in fine form so far this year, reaching the semifinals at Indian Wells before a run to the last eight in Miami.</p>.<p class="bodytext">And he dug deep to break back thanks to two backhand unforced errors from Djokovic.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But Djokovic was rock solid in a tie-break as Coric became ragged, dumping a simple short ball into the net and firing a backhand long to gift his opponent the first set.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Djokovic was showing the ferocity and accuracy of old in his groundstrokes and he had the better of three straight breaks to take control.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But the 39th-ranked Coric saved two match points on his own serve, before fighting back from 40-0 down as Djokovic struggled to get over the line as he served for the match.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A succession of wild backhands and a tame forehand into the net saw four more match points come and go, before Coric levelled the set at 5-5 as Djokovic blasted wide and long.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He rediscovered his composure, though, to break again and finally complete the job at the 10th time of asking as Coric sent a backhand flying long.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Japan's Kei Nishikori continued his comeback from injury with an impressive 7-5, 6-2 win over Russian Daniil Medvedev.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The former world number four, who has struggled over the last year with a right wrist injury, followed up his first-round victory against Tomas Berdych with a solid display on centre court.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Nishikori will face either Guillermo Garcia-Lopez or Andreas Seppi for a place in the quarterfinals.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The first set was a real battle, he was playing a little better than me I think at the beginning," said Nishikori, who is playing the tournament for the first time in six years.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I just tried to stay calm and not do anything too crazy and stay calm at the baseline."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Nishikori, now ranked 36, missed the end of last season through injury and only returned to action in a second-tier Challenger event in January.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Elsewhere, Karen Khachanov cruised past Gilles Simon 6-2, 6-2 to set up a meeting with either Nadal or Bedene, while 11th seed Roberto Bautista Agut beat Feliciano Lopez in straight sets.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Last year's runner-up Albert Ramos-Vinolas slumped to a 6-4, 6-2 defeat by Philipp Kohlschreiber, whose fellow German Jan-Lennard Struff joined him in the last 16 by seeing off Italian 13th seed Fabio Fognini.</p>
<p class="title">Novak Djokovic needed 10 match points to claim a hard-fought straight-sets victory over the dangerous Borna Coric on Wednesday, setting up a Monte Carlo Masters third-round clash with Dominic Thiem.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The 12-time Grand Slam champion, playing only his fourth tournament since Wimbledon last July after struggling with a right elbow injury, overcame some late nerves to win 7-6 (7/2), 7-5.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Djokovic is working with long-time former coach Marian Vajda for the first time in almost a year after splitting from Andre Agassi, and the 30-year-old has looked rejuvenated in Monaco after early exits in Indian Wells and Miami.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Serbian will next face Austrian fifth seed Thiem with a possible quarterfinal against defending champion Rafael Nadal.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The first game set the tone for the rest of the match, with Djokovic eventually holding after nine minutes of bruising baseline rallies that included a missed break point for Coric.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The 21-year-old Croatian also saved a break point in his first service game, but could not fend off Djokovic for long as the two-time Monte Carlo winner moved 3-1 ahead when Coric mishit a smash.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Coric has been in fine form so far this year, reaching the semifinals at Indian Wells before a run to the last eight in Miami.</p>.<p class="bodytext">And he dug deep to break back thanks to two backhand unforced errors from Djokovic.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But Djokovic was rock solid in a tie-break as Coric became ragged, dumping a simple short ball into the net and firing a backhand long to gift his opponent the first set.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Djokovic was showing the ferocity and accuracy of old in his groundstrokes and he had the better of three straight breaks to take control.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But the 39th-ranked Coric saved two match points on his own serve, before fighting back from 40-0 down as Djokovic struggled to get over the line as he served for the match.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A succession of wild backhands and a tame forehand into the net saw four more match points come and go, before Coric levelled the set at 5-5 as Djokovic blasted wide and long.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He rediscovered his composure, though, to break again and finally complete the job at the 10th time of asking as Coric sent a backhand flying long.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Japan's Kei Nishikori continued his comeback from injury with an impressive 7-5, 6-2 win over Russian Daniil Medvedev.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The former world number four, who has struggled over the last year with a right wrist injury, followed up his first-round victory against Tomas Berdych with a solid display on centre court.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Nishikori will face either Guillermo Garcia-Lopez or Andreas Seppi for a place in the quarterfinals.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The first set was a real battle, he was playing a little better than me I think at the beginning," said Nishikori, who is playing the tournament for the first time in six years.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I just tried to stay calm and not do anything too crazy and stay calm at the baseline."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Nishikori, now ranked 36, missed the end of last season through injury and only returned to action in a second-tier Challenger event in January.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Elsewhere, Karen Khachanov cruised past Gilles Simon 6-2, 6-2 to set up a meeting with either Nadal or Bedene, while 11th seed Roberto Bautista Agut beat Feliciano Lopez in straight sets.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Last year's runner-up Albert Ramos-Vinolas slumped to a 6-4, 6-2 defeat by Philipp Kohlschreiber, whose fellow German Jan-Lennard Struff joined him in the last 16 by seeing off Italian 13th seed Fabio Fognini.</p>