The nine-time winner betrayed signs of hamstring pain, but still beat 27th seed Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets.
Novak Djokovic dealt with two flesh and blood complications on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night. One was his bothersome left hamstring, which continued to give him occasional obvious grief. He managed it with the tennis equivalent of a care plan, choosing his moments, limiting himself to certain shots and calling in the physios twice to check his bandaging.
Djokovic was interviewed on court after the match by Jelena Dokic, who did not ask him about his hamstring, leaving the crowd mystified. Evidently, the injury is the broadcaster’s no-go zone. But he chased another ball so far out of the court that he had to return it around the net post. It was a winner. Djokovic was in such apparent good spirits that when Dimitrov did him with a blazing off backhand, he gave his opponent a thumbs up. They go back a long way.
The gears changed in the third set as Dimitrov went on the offensive and Djokovic manoeuvred to play his best tennis while staying out of trouble. It began with a flurry of syncopated service breaks. The raised tempo took a toll on Djokovic. He called in the physio again, then after a 20-shot rally buckled and ended up on the court again.
Talking to Dokic on court, his mood was playful. When Dokic characterised his next match against Australia’s last hope, Alex de Minaur, as a meeting of old and young, he replied: “What do you mean young? Thirty-five is the new 25.”
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