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Paris - Serbia's second seed Novak Djokovic has opened his bid for a maiden French Open title on Monday with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 first round win over Portugal's Joao Sousa.
"I played for most of the match quite solid. The end of the match was not so nice from my side because I dropped my serve twice," said Djokovic.
"It was very heavy conditions. The court is not that great, or in a great condition at this moment.
"But of course, considering the amount of the rain that we had in last four or five days, it is not easy for people to maintain the court in the right state. They are doing their best," he added in reference to the Philippe Chatrier centre court.
Rafael Nadal who also advanced easily to the second round with a straight sets win over American Robby Ginepri was the first player to question the quality of the centre court.
Organisers shifted his match onto the Suzanne Lenglen arena despite the Spaniard being an eight-time winner in Paris.
"I think they made the court new, so it's like the clay gets a little bit more fixed. It was moving around a little bit too much and some small stones make the movement a little bit more difficult," said Nadal.
Djokovic continued to add to the controversy by saying the court had worsened over the first two days of the tournament.
"In my opinion there are a few times today they maybe should have covered the court earlier," continued Djokovic.
"I think the chair umpire should have made a decision earlier to take us off the court and cover the court. I'm talking for the court's sake, you know, for a good condition, because there was a lot of rain.
"I know that on clay, of course, we can play with a certain level of rain, but still it's not that great for the court's condition."
The Serb, who is coming off a stellar showing in Rome where he defeated Nadal, following earlier victories in 2014 at Indian Wells and Miami, converted eight of 15 break points.
He also rained down eight aces behind a first serve percentage of just under 70 per cent in a match that lasted 1hr 46 minutes.
The former world number one now faces French hope Jeremy Chardy for a place in the last 32.
"Playing a French tennis player in France, we all know how challenging that is," he said.
"He had a big win against (Roger) Federer in Rome, so I'm sure he's very motivated to play his best."
Six-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic is only missing the Roland Garros title to complete his set of all four majors and began in style with a confident showing.
During a match interrupted by rain, the 27-year-old Belgrade native was at his charismatic best on and off the court as he even had time to chat extensively with a ball boy during a brief rain delay.
He offered the young lad a drink and clinked bottles with him as the crowd roared their approval.
Results on Monday at the French Open, the second day of the season's second Grand Slam tournament at Roland Garros (x denotes seeded player):
Men
First round:
Rafael Nadal (ESP x1) bt Robby Ginepri (USA) 6-0, 6-3, 6-0
Dominic Thiem (AUT) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2
Leonardo Mayer (ARG) bt James Duckworth (AUS) 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2)
Teimuraz Gabashvili (RUS) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN x30) 6-4, 6-2, 6-3
Guillermo Garca-Lpez (ESP) bt Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) 6-2, 6-1, 6-1
Donald Young (USA) bt Dudi Sela (ISR) 6-1, 2-6, 6-1, 6-0
Feliciano Lopez (ESP x26) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-3, 7-6 (10/8), 6-3
Thomaz Belluci (BRA) bt Benjamin Becker (GER) 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2
Fabio Fognini (ITA x14) bt Andreas Beck (GER) 6-4, 6-4, 6-1
Benot Paire (FRA) bt Alejandro Falla (COL) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4)
Roberto Bautista (ESP x27) bt Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) 6-3, 7-5, 6-2
Tommy Robredo (ESP x17) bt James Ward (GBR) 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
Kenny De Schepper (FRA) bt Albert Montas (ESP) 3-1 - retired (ankle)
Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-4
Facundo Bagnis (ARG) bt Julien Benneteau (FRA) 6-1, 6-2, 1-6, 3-6, 18-16
Ernests Gulbis (LAT x18) bt Lukasz Kubot (POL) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-1
Jir Vesel (CZE) bt Luks Rosol (CZE) 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), 7-5
Alejandro Gonzlez (COL) bt Michael Russell (USA) 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-1
Gilles Simon (FRA x29) bt Ante Pavic (CRO) 6-1, 6-1, 6-3
Marcel Granollers (ESP) bt Ivan Dodig (CRO) 2-2 - retired (shoulder)
Robin Haase (NED) bt Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) 7-5, 6-4, 6-2
Martin Klizan (SVK) bt Kei Nishikori (JPN x9) 7-6 (7/4), 6-1, 6-2
Jurgen Melzer (AUT) bt David Goffin (BEL) 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4
Marin Cilic (CRO x25) bt Pablo Andjar (ESP) 6-0, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6)
Tobias Kamke (GER) bt Miloslav Mecr (SVK) 7-5, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/1)
Novak Djokovic (SRB x2) bt Joao Sousa (POR) 6-1, 6-2, 6-4
Women:
First round
Pauline Parmentier (FRA) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA x17) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) bt Lauren Davis (USA) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
Mona Barthel (GER) bt Karin Knapp (ITA) 6-4, 6-0
Sabine Lisicki (GER x16) bt Fiona Ferro (FRA) 6-1, 7-5
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x9) bt Virginie Razzano (FRA) 7-5, 6-0
Tamira Paszek (AUT) bt Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) 6-2, 7-6 (7/5)
Samantha Stosur (AUS x19) bt Mnica Puig (PUR) 6-1, 6-1
Paula Ormaechea (ARG) bt Romina Oprandi (SUI) 7-5, 6-2
Maria Sharapova (RUS x7) bt Ksenia Pervak (RUS) 6-1, 6-2
Karolna Plskov (CZE) bt Mathilde Johansson (FRA) 6-1, 7-6 (7/5)
Elena Vesnina (RUS x32) bt Christina McHale (USA) 7-6 (7/0), 4-6, 6-3
Alize Cornet (FRA x20) bt Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 6-2, 6-1
Taylor Townsend (USA) bt Vania King (USA) 7-5, 6-1
Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) bt Maryna Zanevska (UKR) 6-1, 6-4
Flavia Pennetta (ITA x12) bt Patricia Mayr (AUT) 6-2, 6-2
Julia Grges (GER) bt Michelle Larcher de Brito (POR) 6-2, 6-3
Eugnie Bouchard (CAN x18) bt Shahar Peer (ISR) 6-0, 6-2
Petra Kvitova (CZE x5) bt Zarina Diyas (KAZ) 7-5, 6-2
Marina Erakovic (NZL) bt Nadiya Kichenok (UKR) 6-2, 6-1
Kurumi Nara (JPN) bt Anna Tatishvili (USA) 6-1, 6-4
Andrea Petkovic (GER x28) bt Misaki Doi (JPN) 6-3, 6-3
Stefanie Vgele (SUI) bt Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) 6-7 (3/7), 7-5, 6-2
