Monte Carlo: is Novak Djokovic back on track?

Novak Djokovic has played listlessly all year. He arrived in Monte Carlo on a three-match losing streak.

Then he went and thumped Dusan Lajovic 6-0 6-1 in just 56 minutes to take his place in the second round, where he’ll meet Borna Coric.

Coric brushed aside Julien Benneteau in straight sets, while in other results, Kei Nishikori continued his mastery of Tomas Berdych and qualifier Stefanos Tsitsipas won an all-teenaged battle against Denis Shapovalov. Also progressing were seeds Roberto Bautista Agut, Milos Raonic and Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

“Today, finally after two years I was pain-free,” he declared. “I came back five weeks from the moment I had the (elbow) surgery. That’s amazing (but) I still obviously wasn’t ready. So Indian Wells and Miami were really kind of a struggle on the court for me mentally.”

It was a somewhat curious statement, given he said he was free of pain at Indian Wells.

After his three-set loss to Taro Daniel in the Californian desert, he said: “I was not even supposed to be here because of the surgery that was only five, six weeks ago. But I recovered very quickly, and I got myself ready.

“Having only played a couple of matches in nine months, you’re still, in a way, battling inside of your mind (about) whether you’re fit or not. And even though you don’t have pain, you’re still thinking about it.”

> MONTE CARLO: Rafa’s records, Novak’s challenges among key questions

His performance in Monte Carlo on Monday recalled a display in Rome last year, where he zoned in a 6-1 6-0 thumping of Dominic Thiem in the semifinals, only to look out of sorts in a straight-sets final loss to Alexander Zverev the next day.

Will it be the same in Monaco this time around? Or will he maintain his level and prove a legitimate contender for a trophy he’s won twice previously?

“It’s only one match,” he said after beating Lajovic.

“I’ve got to stay committed, and I know what to do. But I can’t lie – I’m really happy with the way I played, with the way I felt … I did everything I wanted to do on the court.”

Coric is a solid claycourter, a player whom many believe closely resembles Djokovic in terms of style.

In their only previous meeting, on clay two years ago in Madrid, Djokovic cruised to a straight-sets victory. Yet this time, the form guide is reversed, with Coric having reached the semis at Indian Wells and quarters in Miami, tournaments at which Djokovic crashed out at the first hurdle.

Should he get past Coric, his path gets no easier – he’s seeded to meet Thiem in the last 16 and Rafael Nadal in the quarters, the game’s two premier claycourters in 2017.

> QUIZ: which clay champion are you most like?

He’ll need to be sharp, which will be a challenge; the former world No.1 and 12-time major champion acknowledges he’s lacking match toughness.

But he’s perhaps reinvigorated after reuniting with coach Marian Vajda, whom he parted ways with around this time last year and replaced with Andre Agassi and Radek Stepanek. He no longer works with either.

“It’s a fresh start I think for both of us. I missed him. I have a feeling that he missed me or tennis or both,” Djokovic said.

“He knows me better than any tennis coach I’ve worked with. He’s a friend. He’s someone I can share a lot of things with, whether it’s professional or private life. He’s always there for me. He knows me inside-out. He knows what I need in order to get to the highest possible level of play.

“We could not ask for a better start.”