Djokovic makes fine start in Dubai

DUBAI: Novak Djokovic’s first match since winning last month’s Australian Open brought him a notable atonement and created the impression of a player significantly better than three years ago.
Djokovic’s smartly taken 6-3, 6-3 win over Michael Llodra in the first round of the Dubai Open reversed the result of their encounter in the Paris Masters three months ago.On Monday fifth-seeded Ivan Ljubicic was halted by a leg muscle injury; now the seventh-seeded Cypriot quit after only four games with Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan, with influenza.
It was preceded by the retirement of Lu Yen-Hsun, from Taipei, who also felt unwell, lasting just five games against Feliciano Lopez, the Spaniard who is a former finalist here.