Djokovic wins Monte Carlo opener but "has a lot to work on"

Novak Djokovic opened his clay season with a win and a lot to work on, according to the No. 1's own assessment.

Djokovic defeated Philipp Kohlscreiber, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in his opening round in Monte Carlo, reversing a defeat to the German at Indian Wells. But he was far from pleased with his performance.

"It's my first match on clay," he said in a courtside interview, noting he's still getting used to the movement. "I'm still finding my rhythm."

Speaking to press following the match, Djokovic explained what else he will be concentrating on for the rest of the week.

"This surface is very physically demanding," he told French press. "Tactically also, you have to construct the points, you have to be patient, and sometimes for me, I tend to hit my backhand too flat. So these are the little things I need to get used to and work on."

The 31-year-old will also be working on his serving, having been broken four consecutive times against Kohlschreiber during a two-and-a-half hour encounter.

"If I want to have a chance to go deep at this tournament, I'll have to improve my game," he said.

Djokovic is coming off two consecutive hard-court ATP Masters 1000s where he did not reach the quarterfinals, but said before Monte Carlo that he had been "training hard" for the clay season.