World number one Novak Djokovic battled through a very tricky opening encounter at the French Open against Belgium's David Goffin.
There was no separating the players in the first set as Djokovic was just stronger in the tie-break to get ahead in the match.
In the final two sets, the Serb needed just one break in each to take them but at times he had to be at his best to see off the motivated Belgian.
Read how the action unfolded with our live text commentary.
Hello everyone! Thanks for joining me for this very much delayed match between Djokovic and Goffin. Before the rain and an epic contest on Philippe Chatrier court between Marion Bartoli and Olga Govortsova this match was scheduled for about midday. However, here we are more than five hours later with the match to get underway in 15 or 20 minutes we hope.
Djokovic and Goffin are making their way out onto court to warm up nearly three days after the tournament started. No such luck for Heather Watson, however, whose first-round match has been delayed until tomorrow. The good news is the sun is finally coming out in Paris, as it seems to be here in England (at least the South) so fingers crossed we will get through the match in one sitting.
No prizes for guessing who is the heavy favourite this evening. However, Goffin is unlikely to be quite as easy an opening-round match as the Serb has got used to. There are no clues in the past meetings, either - this is their first clash.
The warmups are just about over and it will be Djokovic who will serve first. Here we go!
Djokovic is straight into his baseline hitting. Goffin, perhaps without the power, is finding his range early on, but does not have much of an answer in the rallies to begin with. It's a rather processional opening service game hold from the world number one.
Some early signs of the sort of tennis we should expect to see from Goffin. He's very comfortable coming to the net and wins a couple of points up close as he holds to love. That was a very convincing service game from the Belgian.
Super shot from Goffin, who is second-favourite in a baseline point before turning a defensive shot into an unreturnable forehand. Djokovic responds with a couple of nice forehands of his own before Goffin goes wide with a baseline shot to concede the game. Just a hint of a threat from Goffin there, though.
Decent start from Goffin's next service game. He goes up 30-0 after coming to the net, with the Serb lobbing long.
Goffin takes his second service game to love. He comes forward again and this time Djokovic can't get it over the net.
Now it's Djokovic's turn to be solid on serve. A worrying point, however, was that it was Goffin who came out on top in the longest rally of the match so far.
I think it can only be a good thing for Djokovic to get a tricky first-round encounter. Often it's just too easy for three or four rounds, but this will get him to the top of his game much faster. Goffin is really going for it and he slams down a forehand winner at the net.
Djokovic wins his first point on the Goffin serve with some hard-hitting baseline play, before the Belgian goes long to bring us to 30-30. As he moves through the gears, Djokovic gets a sniff with a break point but it's saved with another commanding net point, finished with a forehand volley. Two big serves, the first an ace, win the game - first test passed.
Djokovic gets out of a slight bit of trouble at 15-30 with a booming serve down the middle. That's followed up with Goffin going long and a few seconds later Djokovic has held with a fine backhand winner. Brilliant response from the Serb.
Just brilliant from Goffin. He's half-way to the net and plants a sliced drop-shot right on the line which Djokovic, one of the fastest players out there, cannot control. Then he wins the game with a big baseline shot that beats the volley of the Serb.
It's another tough hold from Djokovic, but there was no real threat of a break in truth. The Serb is being largely matched at the baseline and this time it's his turn to pull off a sublime drop shot that his opponent does not even reach. Djokovic will surely be ramping up the pressure during Goffin's next serve.
Well, I expected it, but Goffin has not read the script. After a very touch opening rally in which the Belgian just got to everything, Goffin holds to love and is actually looking the most comfortable player.
Big game there for Djokovic, who holds comfortably to put the pressure right back on Goffin. The Belgian, however, has dealt with it superbly up to this point. If he manages to again, we'll be heading into a tie-break.
Indeed he does deal with it and Djokovic does not have a look in at the moment - we're in a breaker.
Djokovic 1-0* Goffin
Djokovic 1-1* Goffin
Djokovic *2-1 Goffin
Djokovic *2-2 Goffin
Djokovic 3-2* Goffin
Djokovic 3-3* Goffin
Djokovic *3-4 Goffin
Djokovic *4-4 Goffin
Djokovic 5-4* Goffin
Djokovic 5-5* Goffin - Fantastic backhand by Goffin returned into the net.
Djokovic *6-5 Goffin. Set point Djokovic...
SET! Djokovic 7-6[5] Goffin
For a while it looked as though Goffin had it in him to take that breaker, but Djokovic stayed a mini-break up for the most part and took the set at the first time of asking. He will rarely have been tested so much in an opening round of a Slam. For Goffin, it's very unlucky as he could not have played better.
However, he hasn't been disheartened here. It initially looks as though he is as Djokovic races 0-40 ahead, but some big serves including an ace saves all three break points. At advantage, he plays a lovely drop shot but Djokovic is there and the Serb wins the point when Goffin overcooks a volley into the net. It's a big hold for the Belgian, who manages to cling on after seven minutes.
Djokovic holds to love. His early play in this set showing that he is in no mood for another tie-break.
BREAK! The Serb is wrong-footed by a really well disguided backhand down the line. He tries to follow it up with another backhand winner, but goes just wide. Now Djokovic is playing well as he advances to the net following a big forehand, and Goffin can only return it wide. A point later the Serb has broken, and that could be the beginning of the end for the Belgian.
Djokovic is in cruise mode now. A comfortable service game is held with a dipping backhand down the line that Goffin cannot get back over the net. He really needs to hold here, the Belgian.
That was much better from Goffin in the first point, who again wrong-footed Djokovic, but followed it up with a disappointing effort into the net after setting up the point nicely.
What a shot down the line from Goffin! He's being run right to left but fizzes down a jumping backhand winner for 30-15. Djokovic fights back with a big forehand winner, but concedes the game by netting a good serve down the middle from Goffin.
Unlucky from Goffin. He reads the smash from Djokovic, but cannot keep his return inside the court.
That's a lovely rally for the last point! Goffin races forward to scoop a drop shot back over the net, and Djokovic returns it right where it came from with the Belgian only finding the net with his response. Great tennis from both men.
Djokovic's drop shots are really finding their range now. Giffin sprints for the latest one, but can only hit the top of the net. He still just has the one break, though, as Goffin claims the hold with a big shot that defies his size.
Goffin has a chance to fight back here - he's up 0-30 on the Djokovic serve...
It's now 0-40 - three Goffin break points!
BREAK! Who saw that coming? Be honest! Goffin latches on to a weak second serve and races to the net to volley home the winner for a break to love. We're back on serve and this is not going to script at all.
BREAK! It looks to be a second wind for Goffin. He goes up 30-0 as Djokovic appears to be struggling with his contact lenses. From 40-0, however, Djokovic picks it up again and pulls back to within a point and then a double fault brings us to deuce. Two points later Djokovic breaks back with a ferocious forehand that Goffin sends long.
SET! Djokovic looks to wrap up the set while Goffin is smarting from being unable to consolidate his break and earns three set points. The first is saved with a thumping return winner on first serve, before Djokovic nets to wipe out the second. Another big return is followed with a thunderous backhand winner for deuce! Superb play! Goffin saves the fourth set point with yet another booming return to set up the winner. However, at the fifth time of asking Djokovic takes the set for a 2-0 lead.
Goffin has never won a match from two sets down, and there surely can't be many that Djokovic has lost from this position! The Belgian is 30-15 up in the first game of the third after going long with a backhand.
Goffin refuses to be intimidated by the figure of the Serb advancing to the net and places a shot just out of his opponent's reach. However, from 40-15 up the Belgian is pegged back to deuce but he manages to hold on to take the opener.
At 40-0 up Djokovic gives Goffin the runaround but disappointingly nets a drop shot when standing almost on top of it. That's the only blemish on an otherwise perfect service game.
Djokovic, who does look like he is suffering from the elements with a very red nose, is 0-30 up but Goffin fires down a backhand that the Serb cannot even move for.
From 15-40 Goffin battles back and wins a superb point with a drop shot that Djokovic nets. He then latches on to a Djokovic drop to fire a forehand past the Serb for an unlikely hold.
Djokovic moves 30-15 up with a couple of big serves, before Goffin goes long. It's looking to be a comfortable hold but the Belgian fights back to deuce - he just refuses to lie down. The Serb rallies to hold, but that was good character from Goffin.
Goffin holds to 30 without too much drama this time. We're still waiting for the first break in this set and, in truth, there aren't too many signs of one at the moment. Therefore, I fully expect Djokovic to step it up from here and win the remaining games.
The Belgian does his level best to get himself ahead in this set, but at deuce Djokovic is just too strong and a couple of big serves see him level us up at 3-3. Goffin will get a lot of respect after this one, but he might well come away without a set - which will be a shame.
Djokovic is definitely second-best at the moment, as Goffin holds fairly comfortably. He would certainly deserve a break, but somehow I just can't see it happening - Djokovic has enough in reserve I think.
The Serb starts his next service game disappointingly, netting a relatively simple forehand. However, he responds well to fizz a glorious backhand past the advancing Goffin. It's an easy hold and the pressure returns to Goffin.
Goffin is a little slack now and is not capitalising on Djokovic's slight mistakes. He fails to punish a bouncing drop shot but the advantage is handed right back when Djokovic puts a forehand into the tramlines under no pressure at all. Another Serbian unforced error, this time a backhand into the net, means that we remain without a break in this set - Goffin is up 5-4.
That's emphatic from Djokovic. He's flicking back up through the gears now as he looks to close it out. A hold to love will be a big help.
Right on queue, Djoko has three break points...
BREAK! Goffin saves the first, but he has no answer to a sweeping backhand from the world number one, who breaks at the perfect time and will now serve for the match.
Hold on, though, Goffin races into a 0-30 lead here...
A big ace gets him back in it before fantastic defence from the Serb sees Goffin smash a high lob long - he refused to be out of that point, Djokovic. Now match point...
GAME, SET AND MATCH DJOKOVIC!
The scoreboard will read straight sets, but really there was nothing straight about the manner of victory. Goffin really gave it his all and kept the world number one close throughout, but Djokovic had enough at the key moments. What an effort from the Belgian.
Thanks for joining me for this one and be sure to stick with us throughout the tournament for the key matches as well as every game from the quarter-finals onwards. Goodbye!
