Novak Djokovic beats Enzo Couacaud to reach third round of Australian Open 2023

vak Djokovic propped up his left shoe on a courtside sign so he could stretch out his borsome hamstring. He grimaced while flexing muscle after one point, and hopped on his right leg to keep weight off left after ar. He took a medical timeout while a trainer re-taped him during second set — which Djokovic would go on to drop.

As if he needed ar distraction, Djokovic was flustered eugh by a heckler that he asked chair umpire Fergus Murphy to have spectator removed from Rod Laver Arena , saying: “ guy’s drunk out of his mind. ... He’s been provoking. He just wants to get in my head.”

As Djokovic summed up: “It was a lot happening tonight.”

Here’s what did t happen Thursday evening at Australian Open: Djokovic did t lose his way entirely and, most importantly, he did t lose in second round, which is what happened to both . 1 seed Rafael Nadal and . 2 seed Casper Ruud .

Seeking a 10th trophy at Melbourne Park, to add to his own record, and a 22nd Grand Slam title overall, to equal Nadal’s, Djokovic put everything aside and beat 191st-ranked French qualifier Enzo Couacaud 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-0. It was Djokovic’s 23rd consecutive win at Australian Open, a streak that paused a year ago when he couldn’t play in tournament because he was t vaccinated against COVID-19.

This did t shape up as a contest of much intrigue, given that fourth-seeded Djokovic has done all that he has done, while Couacaud entered with a career mark of 2-5. And whatever Couacaud’s chances were beforehand seemed to dim just four games in, when he turned his right ankle and required a visit from a trainer.

But Couacaud overcame that and played freely, conjuring some terrific shotmaking and even having some fun, celebrating his claim of second set by pointing to court as if to indicate, “This is my house!”

Which, of course, it is t. place belongs to Djokovic, who will play Grigor Dimitrov next, kwing that two highly-ranked contenders are longer possible obstacles.

Im: AP