Novak Djokovic has survived a trial by monster serving, gradually defusing the startling power of local hope Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard to launch his bid for a landmark 25th grand slam triumph at the French Open with a resilient victory - and then a jig of delight.
The quest for the record-breaking triumph looked firmly back on at Roland Garros on Sunday night as Djokovic, despite having had just one match, a defeat, since March while nursing a shoulder injury, shook off the ring rust to prove too accomplished for the giant Frenchman despite surrendering the opening set.
Perricard, the 201cm world No.83, has arguably the biggest serve on the circuit and there was a whiff of a massive upset in the humid evening air on Court Philippe Chatrier as he became the first man since Evgeny Korolev in 2010 to take a set off Djokovic in the first round at Roland Garros.
But while appearing increasingly irritable at not converting his chances, Djokovic's matchless blend of experience, know-how and sheer bloody-mindedness ensured he upped his game expertly at the end of the second set before going on to prevail 5-7 7-5 6-1 6-4.
By the end, having coped with the 145mph (233km/h) bombs, the 39-year-old seemed so energised that he celebrated with the sort of 'dad dance' that looked as if it might have been inspired by his kids.
"It’s not many times in my career I’ve faced a serve like that," admitted Djokovic.
"In the first set, I had no chance. The second set it changed a little for me. In a match like that you have to stay concentrated and wait for an opportunity. It’s a little complicated but I found my best game and my return at the right moment."
Amazingly, for the serial record-breaker, it was his 77th successive victory in the first round of a grand slam, stretching back two decades, and even if he didn't start at his dominant best, he finished the two-hour 49-minute contest strongly.
The third seed found the Frenchman unbreakable until he finally converted his 10th break point of the second set to level up and, from there, Mpetshi Perricard seemed a little deflated, also requiring treatment for a wrist and arm issue as he succumbed tamely in the second.
But though he rallied to recover an early break in the fourth, Djokovic earned the key break for 4-3 and went on to record his 22nd-straight first-round win at Roland Garros.
The big shock of the opening day featured 21-year-old American wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy, the world No.148, upsetting his seventh-seeded compatriot Taylor Fritz 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (9-11) 6-1 on Court Suzanne-Lenglen to earn his first main draw win on the Parisian clay.
Fritz has only just returned from an injury break and was beaten by Australian Alexei Popyrin in Geneva last week.
But No.2 seed Alexander Zverev had no such problems on Chatrier, accounting for another French hope Benjamin Bonzi 6-3 6-4 6-2.
