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PARIS: Serbian world number three Novak Djokovic risked stirring up a political controversy at the French Open on Monday (May 29) after writing a message about Kosovo following his first-round victory.
"Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence," 22-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic wrote in Serbian.
Novak Djokovic eased into the second round of the French Open but risked inflaming political tensions in his home region with a message about Kosovo.
China has long been the sleeping giant of men's tennis but on Monday the giant stirred as Shanghai trailblazer Zhang Zhizhen advanced to the second round of the French Open.
Novak Djokovic courted controversy Monday when he wrote "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence" on a camera at the French Open after clashes flared in northern Kosovo amid ethnic tensions. The Belgrade-born tennis superstar wrote the message in Serbian after his opening round victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic on the showpiece Philippe Chatrier Court at Roland Garros. "Kosovo is our cradle, our stronghold, centre of the most important things for our country... There are many reasons why I wrote that on the camera," 36-year-old Djokovic told Serb media at the tournament.
NATO-led peacekeepers on Monday dispersed Serb protesters who again clashed with police in northern Kosovo to demand the removal of recently elected Albanian mayors, as ethnic tensions flared in the Balkan nation. Around 25 soldiers were injured during the clashes, along with over 50 demonstrators. Kosovo's Serbs had boycotted last month's elections in the northern towns, which allowed ethnic Albanians to take control of local councils despite a minuscule turnout of under 3.5 percent of voters.
Zhang Zhizhen on Monday became the first Chinese man in 86 years to win a match at the French Open. The world number 71 was leading Dusan Lajovic 6-1, 4-1 when his Serbian opponent retired with an injury. It was a first main draw win at the majors for Zhang who had been an opening round loser in his three previous appearances at the Slams. The 26-year-old is getting used to making breakthroughs for China.
Novak Djokovic said that playing former fans of his on the professional circuit, such as Aleksandar Kovacevic, is a «nice feeling». Kovacevic’s parents were both professional tennis players in the early years of their lives, and his father Milan hails from Belgrade, the capital of Serbia — Djokovic’s home country.