Novak Djokovic started his clay-court season with a flawless straight-sets victory over compatriot Dusan Lajovic in the first round of the Monte Carlo Masters.

The 12-time grand slam champion, with coach Marian Vajda back in his corner after his recent split with Andre Agassi and Radek Stepanek, eased to a 6-love, 6-1 win in only 56 minutes on a glorious Monday in the Principality.

Djokovic looked totally out of sorts when he slumped to shock defeats to Taro Daniel and Benoit Paire in Indian Wells and Miami respectively last month, but stopped the rot in his first match on the red surface this year.