Janko Tipsarevic has made a winning comeback, taking his first-round match at the Ostrava Challenger.

The former Top 10 player had been sidelined since the U.S. Open, experiencing knee tendinitis as he attempted to return from a foot injury.

"It wasn’t a pretty match, but it’s important that I won," Tipsarevic said, according to the ATP site.

Having been forced on and off the tour for a few years, he is taking it slow.

"I’m just seeing how my body feels at this tournament because I haven’t played in seven months,” said Tipsarevic. “The goal for this year is to finish in the Top 100 so I don't have to go through qualifying for the big events."

Tipsarevic is No. 538 in the rankings.