Novak Djokovic has admitted that he was "surprised" by how much he was pushed by Aljaz Bedene in the Australian Open first round this morning.
The world number one recorded a 6-3 6-2 6-4 win over the Slovenian qualifier in Melbourne in what was not the walkover that has been anticipated.
The Serbian, who confessed to knowing very little about an opponent ranked 111 places below him, had to save two break points in the opener and only won sets one and three by a one-break margin.
While conceding that his game was weaker than usual, Djokovic credited Bedene for making him work hard for his victory.
"Obviously the start was a bit slower performance, weaker performance, from my side," he told reporters. "He had a couple of break points. The match could have gone a different way in the first set.
"Never played him. Watched him only once. He did surprise me. I had a difficult time to read his serve. He's a good player obviously. He qualified, reached the finals in Chennai, qualified again here. He felt confident. He had nothing to lose.
"On the other hand, I managed to stay tough, overcome some kind of challenges that I faced in the beginning of the match. I played much more comfortably in the rest of the match."
Djokovic is a four-time winner in Melbourne, but was denied a fourth Australian Open title in a row by eventual champion Stanislas Wawrinka in last year's quarter-finals.
Joe Fish
