Djokovic leaves no stone unturned
While Kovacevic hailed Djokovic for reaching out two years ago, it came as a double-edged sword.
Where some of his ilk avoids referring to prospective threats by name, Djokovic makes it known when he has the lowdown.
His No.114th-ranked opponent was not the unknown quantity many would have assumed.
Before the pair’s first showdown the third seed made mention of the New Yorker’s talent, namely his single-handed backhand.
He also flagged that his opponent did not have the benefit of having grown up playing on clay, however, intricate details he no doubt noted from their previous hit-outs.
Despite failing to serve out the straight-sets victory at 5-4 and struggling in the wind, it was a largely clinical performance from the two-time Roland-Garros champion.
"I think I played really well and held things under control for two-and-a-half sets and then lost my serve and things got a little bit on a wrong side for me," Djokovic said. "But, you know, I managed to hold my nerves and played pretty much a perfect tie-break.
"I can always play better, I know I can do it, but considering also the conditions, they were quite tricky today with a lot of wind. It was a good match."