Djokovic survives French Open opener

Novak Djokovic began his quest for a historic 25th Grand Slam title with a hard-fought victory over Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at Roland Garros.

Despite showing signs of rust and dropping the first set, the top seed rallied to win 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 in front of a partisan Paris crowd.

The match marked Djokovic's 82nd Grand Slam appearance, a record in the Open Era, and extended his 20-year streak of never losing in the first round of a major.

Other Day 1 action saw a shock exit for seventh seed Taylor Fritz, who was stunned by fellow American Nishesh Basavareddy.