ROME (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic kicked off his quest for a sixth Italian Open title and the defense of his world number one ranking with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Aslan Karatsev in the second round on Tuesday.
Top seed Djokovic, who received a bye into the second round, is still seeking his first title of the year.
The Serb, however, got the job done against Karatsev, who had beaten him in Belgrade last year.
If Djokovic does not reach the semifinals in Rome, he will surrender top spot in the rankings to Russian Daniil Medvedev for a second time this year.
Djokovic brought the crowd to its feet at one point, sprinting from one end of the court to the other, scrambling and sliding to reach for an outrageous drop shot at the net before opening up the court for a winner.