Djokovic begins quest for 25th Grand Slam with 100th victory at Australian Open

Djokovic celebrates his first-round win
Djokovic celebrates his first-round winČTK / AP / Aaron Favila

Novak Djokovic began his hunt for a record 25th Grand Slam title with a 6-3, 6-2, ​6-2 win over unseeded Spaniard Pedro Martinez in the Australian Open first round ‌on Monday, the Serb easing pre-tournament concerns ‌about his fitness with a sparkling display.

Doubts had been raised about Djokovic's preparedness for the major he has won ⁠a record 10 times after the 38-year-old ‌skipped the Adelaide tune-up event and cut short ​practice on Sunday, but he had no trouble sealing his 100th match win at Melbourne Park.

A potentially tricky start against first-time opponent Martinez turned into ‌a routine workout when Djokovic seized control with a break and never loosened his grip under the bright lights ⁠of Rod Laver Arena to take the opening set.

Despite last playing in November when he claimed his 101st career title in Athens, Djokovic barely missed a beat as he let rip a fiery crosscourt winner en route to breaking early and wrapping up the second set.

While the spotlight ⁠has largely swung toward reigning Melbourne ‌champion Jannik Sinner and world number one Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic reminded the duo of his threat with some sublime tennis to power through ⁠the third set and prevail.