World No. 1 Novak Djokovic celebrated his return to competition since becoming a father last week with a ruthless 6-3, 6-4 second-round victory over Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber at the BNP Paribas Masters on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old defending champion showed flashes of the brilliance that has seen him win seven Grand Slams on the way to a third-round meeting against either American 13th seed John Isner or French crowd-pleaser Gael Monfils.
The Serbian, whose wife Jelena gave birth to a boy, Stefan, on Oct. 21, secured early breaks in both sets to lay the foundations for his win as he chases a third title in Paris.
Photo: AFP
“It was very, very good because it’s not easy, the first match and being indoors, so I’m very happy,” Djokovic said. “It’s incredible to be a father and I dedicate this victory to my wife Jelena and Stefan. This was my first match as a father and it can only inspire me to play my best tennis.”
In the last match of the day, Tomas Berdych, who won his one and only Masters title at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in 2005, had too much guile and experience for French wildcard Adrian Mannarino as he advanced 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2.
The Czech fifth seed, who is well on course to the season-ending ATP World Tour finals in London and a top 10 finish for the fifth year in a row, will meet US qualifier Sam Querrey or Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in the last-32.
Earlier, Spaniard Tommy Robredo survived a scare before prevailing 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5) over Canada’s Vasek Pospisil in a first-round match.
Former world No. 5 five Robredo was evidently still feeling the effects of reaching the final of the Valencia Open on Sunday, when he was beaten by Andy Murray in the longest final of the year. Robredo, 32, who has reached three finals this season, but lost them all, is to play Japanese sixth seed Kei Nishikori in the second round.
Also on Tuesday, French hopes were badly dented when Shanghai Masters finalist and 15th seed Gilles Simon, crashed out in the second round against Spaniard Fernando Verdasco. The world No. 33 broke in the final game to outlast Simon 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in 1 hour, 53 minutes.
“It’s always the same, I didn’t control anything,” said a dejected Simon, who was making his ninth straight appearance at Bercy.
The match came down to a nail-biting deciding set that went with serve until Verdasco went 5-4 up and Simon was serving to stay in the match.
The right-hander faced match point at 30-40 and after a marathon rally hit long as Verdasco claimed a morale-boosting victory and pounded his chest in celebration.
Verdasco will play either former champion and last year’s finalist David Ferrer or Belgian David Goffin.
The 23-year-old Goffin — who lost the Basel Open final in straight sets to Roger Federer on Sunday, but has two ATP wins this season — overpowered Czech world No. 29 Lukas Rosol 6-4, 6-3.
The Philadelphia 76ers, fueled by 36 points from Tyrese Maxey and a triple-double from Joel Embiid, on Thursday beat the Houston Rockets 128-122 in an NBA overtime thriller. Cameroonian big man Embiid scored 32 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and handed out 10 assists, posting the ninth triple-double of his career to help the Sixers end the Rockets’ three-game winning streak. Rockets star Kevin Durant scored 36 points and Amen Thompson added 17, but Thompson was scoreless in the fourth quarter. Even so, the Rockets led by nine midway through the final frame, Maxey tying it at 115-115 with 40.1 seconds left. Durant missed a
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