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Following an early Monte Carlo Masters exit, Novak Djokovic made a winning start at his ATP 250 event in Banja Luka. World no. 1 faced the youngest top-100 player Luca Van Assche in the second round and scored a 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 triumph in an hour and 38 minutes.
Struggling with the right elbow injury for some ten days, Novak could not break the rival's resistance in the opener, wasting set points and falling behind. However, the Serb raised his level from set number two to overpower the Frenchman and enter the quarter-final.
After the match, Novak was ready for jokes, thanking Luca for letting an 'old man' win. Djokovic got broken two times and delivered six breaks, mainly in sets two and three. Nothing separated them in the encounter's opening eight games, with no chances for the returners.
Novak Djokovic defeated Luca Van Assche in three sets in Banja Luka.
The Frenchman held at 15 in game eight and cracked a backhand down the line winner at 4-4 to create break chances. Luca seized the first after Novak's forehand error and served for the opener at 5-4.
Djokovic stayed calm and broke back at the last moment after forcing the rival's error to prolong the set and his chances. Van Assche served to stay in the set at 5-6 and faced a stern test. A teenager denied three set points with brave hitting and introduced a tie break.
Novak led 3-1 before losing ground, playing a couple of loose shots and allowing Luca to clinch the set with a service winner at 6-4 after 73 minutes! Djokovic made a fresh start in the second set, landing 17 out of 18 first serves in and keeping the pressure on the other side.
World no. 1 moved in front with a break in game three after the rival's loose forehand and held at 15 with a forehand crosscourt winner in game six for 4-2. The Serb forced the rival's mistake in the eighth game to open a 5-3 gap and earned three set points on the return in the next one.
Novak seized the second after Luca's loose volley to wrap up the set 6-3 and force a decider. They traded breaks at the start of the final set, and Djokovic grabbed another break in game four with a forced error to move 3-1 in front.
Van Assche reduced the gap to 4-2 in game six and served to stay in the match in game eight. Novak secured another break when Luca's backhand landed long to seal the set 6-2 and move into the quarter-final. "I did not play at my best, but I must congratulate Luca on his fighting effort.
I wish him all the best for the rest of his career. He is very young, with plenty of time in front of him. I want to thank him for letting 'the old man' like me win the match," Novak Djokovic said.