Novak Djokovic led defending champions Serbia to a winning start at the ATP Cup before declaring himself happy with his level.
Djokovic faced Denis Shapovalov in the second match of Serbia’s tie with Canada in the round robin stage of the tournament.
The pressure was on the world number one after Milos Raonic had defeated Dusan Lajovic in the first rubber, but he held his nerve to carve out a 7-5, 7-5 win.
“It’s a great opening of the season,” Djokovic said on court after the match.
“It was a very close match, playing Shapo is always a great challenge on hard courts, he’s such a dynamic and explosive player.
“I thought we both played at a pretty high level so I’m really pleased with how I started this season.”
Djokovic’s singles victory meant it was down to the doubles to settle the contest, with both teams putting their stars on court to try to win it.
Filip Krajinović teamed with Djokovic, with Raonic and Shapovalov lining up for Canada, but it was the Serbians again who dominated the big moments and won a tight match in straight sets.
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