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Novak Djokovic battled through to Round 3 of the 2018 French Open on Wednesday, overcoming a determined Jaume Munar 7-6 (1), 6-4, 6-4.
There was little to choose between the two players at times, with the 21-year-old Spaniard performing to a high level for much of the contest. In the end, Djokovic was able to find something extra in crucial moments, especially late in each stanza.
The 12-time Grand Slam champion, who is seeded 20th for this tournament, will now face a tricky clash with 13th seed Roberto Bautista Agut for a spot in the fourth round. Agut overcame Santiago Giraldo on Wednesday 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.
At times in his opening match, Djokovic wasn't at his best against Rogerio Dutra Silva, despite a three-set win. So he would've been hoping for a flashy start in Round 2.
He didn't get one in a bitty set. Both men lost their opening service games, and while Djokovic did pull into a 5-2 lead at one point, he was never totally convincing, allowing the youngster to get back to 5-5.
The underdog didn't appear daunted:
A tiebreak followed, and for the first time in the match, Djokovic showed his pedigree. The Serb raced into a 6-0 lead, eventually taking the second set point on offer.
As journalist Jose Morgado noted, it was a special spell of tennis:
The second set started in similar style, as the two players both dropped service games to cancel the other out.
But when the sun came out, Djokovic started to turn up the heat on his opponent, injecting more intensity and more aggression into his points. At 4-4, he played a brilliant game to break Munar, who was beginning to look a little weary.
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Tasked with serving the set out, Djokovic was 0-30 down before he recovered with some tremendous winners and gave his game opponent a mountain to climb.
As tennis journalist Abigail Johnson relayed, the former champion was edging the big moments:
Munar wasn't giving up despite the deficit, and at the start of the third set, he had a break point to go 2-0 up. The youngster hammered an effort long, though, allowing Djokovic off the hook.
Again, as the set went on, Djokovic's play improved, with his movement getting better as his opponent became increasingly jaded. When he broke to go 4-3 in front, it felt decisive.
A hold afterward put him one game away from Round 3, though Munar dug in to make him serve it out. Djokovic obliged to set up a meeting with another Spaniard at Roland Garros, and he'll be well aware he will have to play to a higher level to overcome Agut.