WORLD No. 1 Novak Djokovic celebrated his return to competition since becoming a father last week with a ruthless 6-3, 6-4 second round victory over Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber at the Paris Masters on Tuesday.

    The 27-year-old defending champion showed the flashes of brilliance, that has seen him win seven Grand Slams, on the way to a third round meeting against either American 13th seed John Isner or French crowd-pleaser Gael Monfils.

    The Serbian, whose wife Jelena gave birth to a baby boy Stefan on Oct. 21 and is chasing a third title in Paris, secured early breaks in both sets to lay the foundations for his victory.

    “It was very, very good because it’s not easy, the first match and being indoors, so I’m very happy,” said Djokovic.

    “I still don’t quite feel 100 percent physically and the court threw up a lot of high bounces but I played a quality match and was very concentrated.

    “It’s incredible to be a father and I dedicate this victory to my wife Jelena and Stefan.

    “I’m very proud to be a father and I’m very proud of my wife for handling the birth in a great way. She’s back home recovering now, with our little boy.

    “This was my first match as a father and it can only inspire me to play my best tennis,” he added.

    (SD-Agencies)