As the reigning champion returned to the court following his Olympic victory, Novak Djokovic defeated qualifier Radu Albot 6-2 6-2 6-4 to begin his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam victory on Monday.
Djokovic struggled with serve and committed almost twice as many unforced errors as victories in the night encounter at Arthur Ashe Stadium, three weeks after capturing the singles title at the Paris Games.
However, in their first tour matchup, the 37-year-old Serb had more than enough weaponry to handle the Moldovan journeyman.
Even though Djokovic had never played Albot before, he claimed to have done his research on the 34-year-old, who had defeated Djordje and Marko, his younger siblings, in their playing careers.
In three sloppy sets, Djokovic properly exacted revenge on the family name. He finished the match with a powerful serve, paving the way for an all-Serbian matchup with Laslo Djere for a trip to the third round.
at 24 Grand Slam victories under his belt at Margaret Court, Djokovic will be hoping for more from his game in an attempt to break the record at Flushing Meadows.
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