In-form Novak Djokovic beats Bellucci at Paris Masters

Paris: World No. 1 Novak Djokovic kicked off his title defense at the Paris Masters by beating Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci in straight sets at Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy.

In Tuesday's match, the Serbian took almost an hour to wrap up the opening set, breaking in the 12th game, before picking up the pace in the second one and serving out the second round victory 7-5, 6-3 in a little bit more than 90 minutes, reported Xinhua news agency.

"There were a few things I could have done better tonight," said Djokovic. "But all in all, it was a very solid match."

"I played a player in form and who is playing well and gave me a hard time, which is always good to have a test like this," added the 28-year-old.

It was Djokovic's 74th match won in this season and the 18th victory in a row.

"The last match I played indoors was last year in London, that's why it's always tricky to start out well," said the top-seeded Serbian who has beaten Bellucci five times without a loss including three times this season.

Djokovic now leads the ATP with nine titles this season, including the back-to-back titles in Beijing and Shanghai last month.