What doesn’t kill Novak Djokovic makes him stronger. On Friday night it was not only a dangerous opponent but also a stomach bug that left him green and calling for the doctor. The Serb even felt the electronic line calling system was against him.
But the march of Melbourne Park’s most persecuted continues towards a 25th grand slam title after he dispatched the 26th seed, Tomas Machac, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in 142 minutes. He had surprisingly dropped a set against two opponents in the early rounds, but Djokovic looked formidable here in a brutal display of grinding groundstrokes and supreme physicality. He now moves into the fourth round, entering the second week in improving form, certain to worry the rest of the draw.
“I always hope, but I didn’t expect to win in straight sets against him, because he’s in red-hot form, and I’m still to find the best tennis myself,” he said. “But I prepared myself very well and played a terrific match.”
This was a contest of long, see-sawing rallies between two players that – apart from their respective serves – appeared well-matched. Those who filled Rod Laver Arena on a windy but warm evening were left wanting more, after the match wrapped quickly in three competitive sets.
For a moment they might have got even less. Early in the second set Djokovic started to double over on the court, and buried his head at the change of ends. He looked ill, but remarkably was able to maintain his performance. Indeed, after a medical visit and some prescription drugs he appeared to improve his play. He declined to elaborate afterwards, saying only that he was trying to catch his breath. “I’m not 19 anymore,” he said. “I’m 19 times two, almost.”
Although the 37-year-old was broken early in that second set, the Serb leaned heavily on his serve, and dropped only four points behind it in the entire third frame. It was the major difference between the players in the most one-sided of the three matches they have played.
“I physically struggled at the beginning of the second [set] for those, whatever, 15, 20 minutes,” Djokovic said. “But I managed to turn things around from an early break loss in the second, re-broke his serve, and then I was break up and held the serve all the way through.”
Machac appeared to present a major threat to Djokovic’s pursuit of an 11th Australian Open title. The Czech reached his first grand slam third round in Australia last year and possesses a potent, versatile backhand with mobility to cover the court. The 24-year-old has given Djokovic trouble in their two previous meetings that both went to deciding sets with Machac winning in the most recent meeting between the pair.
Djokovic, however, smelled a weakness and attacked the Machac serve, winning almost two thirds of return points in the first set. Yet once each point settled into the baseline rhythm, the pair produced some of the tournament’s best exchanges. It made for a riveting, high-intensity display, even without the Serb’s theatrics.
Novak Djokovic had to take a medical time-out during his Australian Open match on Friday. Photograph: James Ross/EPA
Apart from his illness, Djokovic was animated throughout the match in exchanges with his box that this year features Andy Murray. And he found another enemy in the linecall robot. He felt aggrieved by two automated decisions in the second set, and in the third he offered eyes wide in faux surprise when a close call went his way. Late in the match a member of the crowd called out during a play, enraging the 37-year-old.
He said afterwards a few intoxicated fans overstepped the mark, but was largely supportive of efforts to increase the sport’s appeal. “I think that we should try to look to connect more with the younger people and bring them, I want to see a little bit more entertainment.”
He suggested tennis adopt dancers like in basketball. “When there is a timeout, they have dancers come in and this and that, I wouldn’t have problem with that,” he said. “Nice dancers, you know, there for a few minute more break so I can relax my nerves and think about something else.”
In the end, Djokovic channeled his fury and powered a backhand past the unfortunate Machac on match point, gesturing towards one fan who had heckled him throughout the evening as he met his opponent at the net. Another seeded Czech, world No 29 Jiri Lehecka, awaits in the fourth round.
No 14-ranked Frenchman Ugo Humbert is set to meet the No 2 seed, Alexander Zverev, in the fourth round after getting past countryman Arthur Fils on John Cain Arena. Humbert lost the first set but surged back to take the second and third, before his opponent retired due to pain in his lower leg.
