Djokovic, Sharapova reach second round on wet day of action at French Open
Former number ones tackle weather disruptions, while Serb entertains crowd in chat with ball boy during delay
Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova successfully dealt with the wet weather and their opponents on Monday at the French Open.
Both former No 1 players advanced to the second round at Roland Garros, playing through showers and rain delays.
Djokovic beat Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 despite being broken three times, including while serving for the match for the first time.
It’s always nice to get out there on a day like this. It’s good to play the first match
The second-seeded Serb was leading 4-1 when rain halted play on Court Philippe Chatrier, but it restarted about an hour later.
In the second set, a short shower stopped play for only a few minutes. Djokovic, wearing a white rain jacket, used the time to entertain the crowd by chatting with a ball boy and letting the youngster sit alongside him on the bench.
At one point, Djokovic grabbed the umbrella out of the ball boy’s hand and in return gave him a racket. Then Djokovic handed him a bottle of Perrier, and the two clinked bottles before taking a sip.
Djokovic can complete a career grand slam by winning the French Open.
