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Tennis: Djokovic survives scare to battle past Fucsovics in Paris

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Pirate IRWIN, Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Serbia" s="" Novak="" Djokovic="" celebrates="" after="" winning="" the="" final="" match="" of="" Italian="" open="" against="" Diego="" Schwartzman="" at="" Foro="" Italico="" on="" September="" in="" Italy.="" File="" photo.="" Clive="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/afp/11/03/tennis_novak-djokovic_afp.jpg"/></figure></div>PARIS, France -- World number one Novak Djokovic endured a tough return to the ATP singles circuit but battled through to beat Marton Fucsovics of Hungary 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the second round of the Paris Masters on Tuesday.The 34-year-old 20-time Grand Slam champion had said on Sunday his greatest fear was lack of match practice having not played since Daniil Medvedev dashed his dreams of a Grand Slam sweep in the US Open final in September.The Serbian&#x27;s fears were borne out as Fucsovics put up a sterner test than the &#x27;rabbit caught in the headlights&#x27; one he had produced when they met in the Wimbledon quarter-finals earlier this year.&quot;It is my return to competition after almost two months of not playing in an official tournament,&quot; said Djokovic.&quot;Thus it was difficult to get into my rhythm but I am happy it is a decent win.&quot;Djokovic -- who rare for him is also playing the doubles in Paris -- said he expected a tough match despite having beaten his opponent the three previous times they had met.&quot;It was a super battle,&quot; he said.&quot;Now I must play more to rediscover my level of intensity.&quot;The more matches I play the better I will play.&quot;I know this well as I have been in this situation before. Hopefully that experience will be useful.&quot;Djokovic barely had to engage second gear when cruising to the first set in 38 minutes with the loss of just two games.But Fucsovics broke early to go 3-1 up in the second, energizing the evening crowd at Bercy.Djokovic served to save the set to love at 5-3, but the Australian, French and Wimbledon champion was unable to prevent Fucsovics serving out to take the match to a decisive set.Djokovic, though, pulled it together in the third set and broke his 29-year-old opponent to go 4-2 up.Djokovic had a match point on Fucsovic&#x27;s next service game as he turned the screw but the Hungarian saved it and stayed in the contest by winning the game to trail 3-5.Djokovic, though, made no mistake when he served for the match to see off his 40th-ranked opponent and progress to the third round.He will play the winner of the all-French clash between Adrian Mannarino and mercurial Gael Monfils.Earlier another seed had had a tough time of it as well.Felix Auger-Aliassime set up a second round clash with Domink Koepfer, conqueror of Andy Murray, after coming from a set down to beat Italian qualifier Gianluca Mager 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.The 21-year-old Canadian ninth seed needed five match points to do so against a dogged opponent, who played way above his world ranking of 66.Auger-Aliassime will need to be on his mettle when he faces Koepfer who saved seven match points against world number one Murray on Monday before sealing victory with his first.&quot;The end of the first set was disappointing but I reacted well,&quot; said Auger-Aliassime.&quot;I bounced back in the second set.&quot;After returning so well, I created occasions and I won the second set and then I finished very well.&quot;So the match was indeed with an upward phase which was positive for me.&quot;Auger-Aliassime has been very much also on an upward phase including reaching the US Open semi-finals although aided by his quarter-final opponent Carlos Alcaraz retiring from the match with a thigh injury.The 18-year-old Spaniard, though, has recovered and showed real toughness in overcoming Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/2), 7-5 in a thrilling see-saw encounter which lasted seven minutes shy of three hours.Herbert, fired up by a partisan crowd, had saved two match points but then limply handed victory to Alcaraz with his 10th double fault of the match.Alcaraz will face the in-form Italian eighth seed Jannik Sinner in the second round in what promises to be a cracking encounter of two of the up and coming young talents.<div>© Agence France-Presse</div>

Novak Djokovic endured a tough return to the ATP singles circuit but battled through to beat Marton Fucsovics of Hungary.

Tennis: Djokovic survives scare to battle past Fucsovics in Paris

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Tennis: Djokovic survives scare to battle past Fucsovics in Paris

Pirate IRWIN,

Agence France-Presse

Published Nov 03, 2021 09:34 AM PHT

Read More:

tennis

Paris Masters

Marton Fucsovics

Novak Djokovic

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