Chasing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title, Novak Djokovic made a strong start to his French Open campaign with a 5-7 7-5 6-1 6-4 victory over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
The 39-year-old Serbian, who is making his fourth tour-level appearance this season, lost the first set but staged a fightback to secure the win.
'The body is feeling all right for now,' Djokovic said in the post-match press conference.
'Of course I have to get the game together, and hopefully that will happen as I progress.'
Djokovic also tied French players Richard Gasquet and Antoine Gentian with a men's record 22nd Roland Garros appearance, having reached at least the quarterfinals in 19 of the last 20 editions.
Mpetshi Perricard, the 80th-ranked opponent, had plenty of crowd support and impressed Djokovic with his serve, which the Serbian described as 'one of the most tremendous serves in terms of precision and speed that I have ever faced in my career.'
