Djokovic raced away with the first set and it looked like it would be an easy path into the second round before the 220th-ranked Stoppini, who had to qualify for the main draw, jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the second.

The 21-year-old Djokovic then reeled off the next five games to take the second set, though his momentum was halted when he was broken in the first game of the third set and Stoppini raced away to a 4-0 lead.

Undaunted, the world number three fought back again and recovered to 4-3 before the Italian held serve to move within one game of taking the contest to a fourth set.

Stoppini was unable to close out the set, however, and dropped the match.

Photographs and Text: Reuters