World number one Novak Djokovic has successfully opened his title defence at the Italian Open with a three-set win over his Spanish opponent Nicolas Almagro in their second round tie on Tuesday.
The Serbian, who returned to action after three weeks break, extended his winning run to 18 matches after claiming a 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3 win over Almagro.
The Spaniard produced a resilient performance against Djokovic, reeling off five points in a trot to take the second set tie-break and holding firm in the decider until the seventh game.
Reflecting on his performance, Djokovic said that he felt a little uncomfortable due to lack of playing, but insisted that he would be back on track in no time, the BBC reported.
Djokovic will next square off against Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain in the third round. (ANI)