ATP Paris Masters: Novak Djokovic wins first match since birth of child; Tommy Robredo progresses

Novak Djokovic returned to the ATP Tour with a 6-3 6-4 victory against Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round of the Paris Masters.

Playing for the first time since the birth of his child, the world No 1 wrapped up a routine win in an hour and 24 minutes.

Djokovic raced into a 5-1 lead in the first set before dropping serve for the only time in the match, but Kohlschreiber was not able to build on that fleeting moment of success and was well beaten in the end.

“It feels great. It feels different, obviously,” Djokovic told Sky Sports about playing as a father for the first time.

This was my first match as a father and it can only inspire me to play my best tennis.

“I try to take as much positive energy as possible from what has happened to me in the last few weeks.

“I’m very proud to be a father and very proud of my wife for handling everything in a great way. This was my first match as a father and it can only inspire me to play my best tennis.”

Djokovic is defending the maximum 1000 points in Paris and will hope for a strong run in the tournament to prevent Roger Federer from eating further into his lead at the top of the world rankings.

“It’s not the first time I’ve been in this particular situation,” he added of the fight with Federer for the year-end No 1 spot.

“I know what I need to do and I’ll try to keep things simple – just focus my attention on my own matches and win as much as I can on the court.”

Robredo wins

In the first round, Valencia runner-up Tommy Robredo was this time on the winning end of a three-set battle, clinching a 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7-5) victory over Canada's Vasek Pospisil.

Former world No 5 Robredo was evidently still feeling the effects of his epic defeat to Andy Murray on Sunday, where he was beaten in the longest final of the year.

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Pospisil rained down 13 aces against Robredo's one, and led 4-2 in the third set before painfully falling at the final hurdle.

The popular 32-year-old, who wasted five match points against Murray at Valencia in a match that lasted 3 hours 20 minutes, seized a 6-3 advantage in the decisive third set tie-break and squandered two of them before Pospisil hit long to end the match.

Robredo, who is now 17th in the ATP rankings, will meet Japanese sixth seed and US Open runner-up Kei Nishikori in a tasty second round date as his search for a 13th career title goes on.

Also at Bercy Arena, French hopes were badly dented when Shanghai Masters finalist and 15th seed Gilles Simon crashed out in the second round to left-hander Fernando Verdasco.

The world No 33 broke in the final game to outlast Simon, whose best result in Paris was a semi-final appearance in 2012, 6-3 3-6 6-4 in just under an hour to claim a morale-boosting victory.

He will now play either former champion and last year's finalist David Ferrer or the Spaniard's second round opponent, Belgian talent David Goffin.

Jeremy Chardy, who reached his second career semi-final at Valencia last week, edged compatriot and qualifier Kenny De Schepper 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-4) to set up a clash with Federer in the second round.