By Karolos Grohmann
PARIS (Reuters) -Three-time champion Novak Djokovic battled past Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6-3 6-2 7-6(1) in a match that lasted more than three hours on Thursday, to reach the French Open third round and stay on track for a record-breaking 25th career Grand Slam title.
Moutet pushed the 38-year-old, who shares the Slam record with Australia’s Margaret Court, especially in the third set where he carved out a set point.
“Mentally you have to be concentrated throughout such a match. Corentin is very quick, he is a fighter, especially in the third set,” Djokovic said in a post-match interview.
“He had set point. At that moment anything could happen but I stayed in the set. At the right time I found a good serve.
“I know everyone asks me the secrets of success. It is not one thing but a combination, a formula that evolved with my career. For me now it is important to find the motivation. Obviously motivation now is to make more history.”
Moutet broke the Serb, fresh from winning in Geneva last week for his 100th ATP Tour title of his career, early in the first set but Djokovic bounced back with two breaks of his own to snatch it.
He was at times troubled by the southpaw who slid, lunged and chased down every ball he could in his trademark style, to try and stay in the game, as the sold-out home crowd in Court Philippe Chatrier fired him on.
Djokovic, who looks to have found his form after splitting with coach Andy Murray a few weeks ago, snatched another two breaks to go 5-2 up and bagged the second set on his serve.
Moutet, ranked 73rd in the world, managed to break his opponent’s serve and go 4-2 up after Djokovic took a medical timeout for treatment on the toes of his left foot.
But he gifted it back the very next game before earning a set point at 6-5. Djokovic held firm and secured his third round spot with a commanding tiebreak performance.
He will next face either Canada’s Denis Shapovalov or Austrian Filip Misolic in round three.
(Reporting by Karolos GrohmannEditing by Christian Radnedge)
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