Djokovic kick-start quest for a 100th career singles title with victory

Novak Djokovic’s new era under the watchful eye of coach Andy Murray got up and running Monday at the Australian Open.

The record 10-time champion rallied past American wild card Nishesh Basavareddy 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to secure his second-round spot in Melbourne for an 18th consecutive year. At times unconvincing, Djokovic regularly looked to an animated Murray in his coaching box for an extra burst of energy before sealing a two-hour, 58-minute win.

“It’s all business now for us, I’m thrilled to have him in my corner,” Djokovic said of Murray. “It was a little bit of a strange experience to have him courtside in my box… We played against each other for over 20 years, and it’s great to have him on the same side of the net.

“He gave me some great advice mid-match. It’s really good we have the opportunity to exchange some feedback and get our coaches to tell us what they see. It’s been a great experience [with Murray], hopefully we don’t stop here.”

“He was the better player for a set and a half, he deserved every bit of applause that he got,” Djokovic said of Basavareddy, who competed at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in December. “It was a great performance. These kinds of match-ups are always tricky [and] dangerous. He has nothing to lose in his first match at a Grand Slam.

“He pleasantly surprised me with all of his shots until the very end, so I wish him all the best for the future.”

The seventh-seeded Djokovic will next continue his quest for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title – and 100th overall – against qualifier Jaime Faria, who earlier breezed past Pavel Kotov 6-1, 6-1, 7-5.