To earn his eighth Top 10 victory, he struck the ball hard to turn Rublev around and remained composed in the third set.
Despite only winning four games in their previous two encounters, the 32-year-old Lajovic prevailed 6-4, 7-6(6) after surviving 15 of 16 break points.
In a press conference on Monday, Djokovic said that ever since his first trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina more than ten years ago, he has enjoyed the atmosphere there.
At the clay-court major, where the Spaniard has compiled a record of 112-3, Nadal will attempt to add to his long list of victories.
The 21-year-old Italian won the match in two hours and 54 minutes by taking advantage of Djokovic's poor serving while playing in wet and windy conditions.
George Russell, the Mercedes Formula 1 star, was watching the World No. 1's match from the stands when they crossed paths.
In contrast to Gakhov, who was playing in his third tour-level match, Djokovic was playing in his 1,254th, and that experience paid off in crucial situations.
Spring in the northern hemisphere is closer than ever and that means tennis’ grand slam season is almost upon us. With Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open all set to take p...
“The time has come to give up the fiction that COVID vaccines remain a necessary tool to promote public health,” he said.
The US Tennis Association and the US Open's organisers both expressed their support for Djokovic's application to enter the country on Friday.