<p>Novak Djokovic's backhand clipped the net and landed wide, so he shook his head. That was it.</p>.<p>Later, a too-soft drop shot found the white tape and bounced back on his own side, finally ceding a game in a dominant debut performance at the 2020 French Open. Djokovic simply bowed and walked to the sideline.</p>.<p>And when he flubbed yet another drop shot — he kept using them on the slow red clay during a 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 win over 80th-ranked Mikael Ymer — and got broken Wednesday, Djokovic pulled an extra tennis ball out of his pocket and merely gave it a gentle tap with his racket strings.</p>.<p>The ball landed right behind him, safely in the middle of the court.</p>.<p>Playing his first Grand Slam match since his US Open disqualification for smacking a ball after dropping a game and accidentally striking a line judge in throat, Djokovic never really gave himself reason for histrionics or shouts of dismay or displays of anger. Sure, there was some eye-rolling and one sarcastic kiss directed at one of the few fans on hand under the roof at Court Philippe Chatrier.</p>.<p>But otherwise, what was there for Djokovic to be disturbed about?</p>.<p><strong>Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/tennis/snake-novak-djokovic-in-control-at-roland-garros-as-double-bounce-row-sparks-video-replay-call-895018.html" target="_blank">'Snake' Novak Djokovic in control at Roland Garros as double bounce row sparks video replay call</a></strong></p>.<p>“I just felt very suffocated out there. It's just corner, corner; very, very rarely miss. His position is unreal in the court,” Ymer explained.</p>.<p>“You know how the snake kills its prey?” Ymer said, pantomiming a boa constrictor's attack by bringing his arms around and putting his hands together.</p>.<p>“That's a little bit how I felt being out there.” Ymer said he didn't pay any attention to Djokovic's mood or energy.</p>.<p>And Djokovic, for his part, said that what happened in Flushing Meadows was of no concern to him, either, as he began his pursuit of a second title at Roland Garros and 18th Grand Slam trophy overall.</p>.<p>“I have not had any traces of New York in my mind. I'm over it. Honestly forgot about it. I'm not thinking about it,” the No. 1 seed said after improving to 32-1 in 2020, the only blemish being that fourth-round default this month.</p>.<p>“Winning a 6-love first set is the best possible way to start a Grand Slam," he said.</p>.<p>"This is exactly what my intentions will be — trying to get off the blocks very strong, with a good intensity, obviously, because players in the early rounds have nothing to lose.”</p>.<p>Maybe that's why 17-year-old Clara Tauson of Denmark was able to earn her first tour-level win by knocking off US Open semifinalist and No. 21 seed Jennifer Brady 6-4, 3-6, 9-7.</p>.<p>Or why No. 19 Alison Riske and No. 26 Donna Vekic also lost.</p>.<p>With Dominic Thiem, the US Open champion and two-time French Open runner-up, watching from the stands in a black winter coat, Djokovic broke Ymer nine times and ended up with a 32-12 edge in total winners.</p>.<p>And when Djokovic did have a rare misstep, dropping a service game to make it 2-all in the second set, he responded in a constructive way: improving his play.</p>.<p>Eighteen minutes and four near-perfect games later, the set belonged to him.</p>.<p>“The way he's playing,” observed Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, “he's unbeatable.”</p>.<p>She found herself in quite a tussle Wednesday but got through it, struggling a bit when a rain delay interrupting things after the first set, but emerging with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory against 125th-ranked Liudmila Samsonova.</p>.<p>“Just relieved,” the fourth-seded Kenin said.</p>.<p>Others feeling that way on Day 3 at the year's last Grand Slam tournament included No. 2 seed Karolina Pliskova, who came back to beat 172nd-ranked qualifier Mayar Sherif 6-7 (9), 6-2, 6-4; and the two men who were finalists at the Hamburg tuneup event that ended Monday, No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas and No. 13 Andrey Rublev.</p>.<p>Both dropped the first two sets Wednesday before coming back to win. Tsitsipas trailed Jaume Munar before advancing 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4, while Rublev knelt on court and covered his face with his hands after turning things around to beat Sam Querrey 6-7 (5), 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-4, 6-3.</p>.<p>Querrey led the third set 5-2 and served for the victory at 5-3 but let things get away from him.</p>.<p>“I went 0-4 in serving out sets. I would like to think that will never happen to me again. It's probably never happened,” Querrey said.</p>.<p>“Someone with my serve, I can't let that happen.”</p>.<p>Another American who played a five-setter, Marcos Giron, did pick up a win, edging Quentin Halys 7-5, 3-6, 6-7 (5), 7-5, 8-6 to become the eighth US man to reach the second round.</p>.<p>That's the most in Paris since nine got that far in 1996.</p>.<p>Last year? One did.</p>
<p>Novak Djokovic's backhand clipped the net and landed wide, so he shook his head. That was it.</p>.<p>Later, a too-soft drop shot found the white tape and bounced back on his own side, finally ceding a game in a dominant debut performance at the 2020 French Open. Djokovic simply bowed and walked to the sideline.</p>.<p>And when he flubbed yet another drop shot — he kept using them on the slow red clay during a 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 win over 80th-ranked Mikael Ymer — and got broken Wednesday, Djokovic pulled an extra tennis ball out of his pocket and merely gave it a gentle tap with his racket strings.</p>.<p>The ball landed right behind him, safely in the middle of the court.</p>.<p>Playing his first Grand Slam match since his US Open disqualification for smacking a ball after dropping a game and accidentally striking a line judge in throat, Djokovic never really gave himself reason for histrionics or shouts of dismay or displays of anger. Sure, there was some eye-rolling and one sarcastic kiss directed at one of the few fans on hand under the roof at Court Philippe Chatrier.</p>.<p>But otherwise, what was there for Djokovic to be disturbed about?</p>.<p><strong>Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/tennis/snake-novak-djokovic-in-control-at-roland-garros-as-double-bounce-row-sparks-video-replay-call-895018.html" target="_blank">'Snake' Novak Djokovic in control at Roland Garros as double bounce row sparks video replay call</a></strong></p>.<p>“I just felt very suffocated out there. It's just corner, corner; very, very rarely miss. His position is unreal in the court,” Ymer explained.</p>.<p>“You know how the snake kills its prey?” Ymer said, pantomiming a boa constrictor's attack by bringing his arms around and putting his hands together.</p>.<p>“That's a little bit how I felt being out there.” Ymer said he didn't pay any attention to Djokovic's mood or energy.</p>.<p>And Djokovic, for his part, said that what happened in Flushing Meadows was of no concern to him, either, as he began his pursuit of a second title at Roland Garros and 18th Grand Slam trophy overall.</p>.<p>“I have not had any traces of New York in my mind. I'm over it. Honestly forgot about it. I'm not thinking about it,” the No. 1 seed said after improving to 32-1 in 2020, the only blemish being that fourth-round default this month.</p>.<p>“Winning a 6-love first set is the best possible way to start a Grand Slam," he said.</p>.<p>"This is exactly what my intentions will be — trying to get off the blocks very strong, with a good intensity, obviously, because players in the early rounds have nothing to lose.”</p>.<p>Maybe that's why 17-year-old Clara Tauson of Denmark was able to earn her first tour-level win by knocking off US Open semifinalist and No. 21 seed Jennifer Brady 6-4, 3-6, 9-7.</p>.<p>Or why No. 19 Alison Riske and No. 26 Donna Vekic also lost.</p>.<p>With Dominic Thiem, the US Open champion and two-time French Open runner-up, watching from the stands in a black winter coat, Djokovic broke Ymer nine times and ended up with a 32-12 edge in total winners.</p>.<p>And when Djokovic did have a rare misstep, dropping a service game to make it 2-all in the second set, he responded in a constructive way: improving his play.</p>.<p>Eighteen minutes and four near-perfect games later, the set belonged to him.</p>.<p>“The way he's playing,” observed Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, “he's unbeatable.”</p>.<p>She found herself in quite a tussle Wednesday but got through it, struggling a bit when a rain delay interrupting things after the first set, but emerging with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory against 125th-ranked Liudmila Samsonova.</p>.<p>“Just relieved,” the fourth-seded Kenin said.</p>.<p>Others feeling that way on Day 3 at the year's last Grand Slam tournament included No. 2 seed Karolina Pliskova, who came back to beat 172nd-ranked qualifier Mayar Sherif 6-7 (9), 6-2, 6-4; and the two men who were finalists at the Hamburg tuneup event that ended Monday, No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas and No. 13 Andrey Rublev.</p>.<p>Both dropped the first two sets Wednesday before coming back to win. Tsitsipas trailed Jaume Munar before advancing 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4, while Rublev knelt on court and covered his face with his hands after turning things around to beat Sam Querrey 6-7 (5), 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-4, 6-3.</p>.<p>Querrey led the third set 5-2 and served for the victory at 5-3 but let things get away from him.</p>.<p>“I went 0-4 in serving out sets. I would like to think that will never happen to me again. It's probably never happened,” Querrey said.</p>.<p>“Someone with my serve, I can't let that happen.”</p>.<p>Another American who played a five-setter, Marcos Giron, did pick up a win, edging Quentin Halys 7-5, 3-6, 6-7 (5), 7-5, 8-6 to become the eighth US man to reach the second round.</p>.<p>That's the most in Paris since nine got that far in 1996.</p>.<p>Last year? One did.</p>