NOVAK DJOKOVIC was made to sweat before struggling to a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 victory over Gilles Simon at the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday in his first claycourt match of the season.

    “It was a very difficult match, with many changes of momentum,” the world No. 2 Djokovic said. “It was very tiring for me, the first clay of the season.

    “But this is the start of the Roland Garros build-up.”

    Djokovic won the Monte Carlo Masters in 2013 and 2015 but has won only one tournament so far this season, the Qatar Open at the start of January.

    Djokovic has been hampered by poor form and injuries in 2017 and missed the Miami Masters with an elbow complaint, although he did play in the Davis Cup this month.

    Initially, the Serbian looked in fine fettle as he cruised through the opening set, but the former world number one had no answer to an inspirational Simon in the second.

    Twice Simon led by a break in the decider, but ultimately Djokovic displayed his trademark battling qualities to fight back and continue his quest for a third title in Monte Carlo.

    However, it was a different story for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who was shocked by French compatriot and qualifier Adrian Mannarino despite winning the first set on the Monte Carlo clay, the seventh seed going out 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 6-3.

    Mannarino had already won two qualifying matches and beaten Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in round one, but there were no signs of fatigue as his stinging backhand helped improve his record over top-10 players to 2-18.

    Tsonga, a two-time semi-finalist in the principality, had fought back from 3-1 down in the decider, but Mannarino would not be denied.

    “I never expected to beat Jo. I certainly didn’t expect to beat him on clay. But I tried not to think he was on the other side of the net. I just focused on what I had to do,” he said.

    (SD-Agencies)