Novak Djokovic said an angry altercation with a fan may have helped him get over the line during a tough Australian Open second-round clash with home favorite Alexei Popyrin on Wednesday.
The world number one showed his distinctive mental strength in the face of his inspiring rival, defeating him 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 in more than three hours.
It came after a grueling first-round match on Sunday, when he was kept on the court for more than four hours by youngster Dino Prizmic, and admitted afterwards that he was “a little under the weather”.
It is the first time since the 2018 US Open that Djokovic has lost two sets in the first and second rounds of a Grand Slam.
The Serbian player entered into a tense argument with a spectator at Rod Laver Arena at the beginning of the fourth set on Wednesday.
He said: “There were a lot of things that were said to me on the field. I tolerated it for most of the match.”
“At some point I had enough, and I asked him if he wanted to come down and tell me about it to my face.
“When you encounter someone, unfortunately for them, they didn't have the courage to come down.
“That's what I was asking of him. If you have courage, if you're a strong man, a strong man, come down and tell me so to my face, and let's talk about it.”
There was speculation that Djokovic's health was the source of the 10-time Australian Open champion's second successive sub-par performance, with the star seen carrying tissues onto the court.
The top seed was asked whether the argument excited him.
“Maybe it was necessary,” he said.
“I don't know. Look, I don't want to be in this kind of situation. Yeah, I think I was emotionally flat.”
“Match-wise, I was tight for part of the match, at the end of the second set, and most of the third set.
“Maybe it was necessary for me to change a little bit and start finding the kind of strength I need on the court to be at my best.”
9.00am: Kyrgios shows 'liquidation' of Novak Heckler
The bromance between Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic continues to flourish, with the Australian star offering to defend the honor of world number one after a nasty clash with a Melbourne crowd member.
The pair have had their battles with crowds over the years, and Kyrgios jokingly offered to take the fight for his friend after the ugly scenes on Wednesday night.
Djokovic, after being harassed throughout the match by hecklers who he said were screaming between serves, interrupted the fourth set and asked a fan to “come up and say that to my face.”
In a humorous post-match interview with Eurosport, which Kyrgios joined to commentate during the tournament, Djokovic stressed his dissatisfaction with the crowd's reaction before Kyrgios offered to sort it out for him.
“Feeling mixed emotions. The atmosphere is not great for me to play in,” Djokovic said.
“(You have to accept that and go with it…
“Kygs—did you like that exchange? Where I asked the heckler to come and show me.”
Kyrgios responded: “I'm ready. Let's do WWE in the crowd. I'll jump for you, I'll go first. I'll get that guy out of here!”
“If you want me to jump into the crowd and sort it out, I'll do it for you, bro. I've got your back 100%.”
8.40am: The tennis world mourns the sudden death
To some sad news overnight, respected English tennis writer Mike Dixon died at the Australian Open.
The 59-year-old, who was the Daily Mail's chief tennis writer for 17 years and traveled the world covering the sport for 38 years, died suddenly while covering the tournament.
Condolences have poured in from around the world for the legendary journalist, which you can read more about here.
8.20am: The Australians are in action on day two
Alex de Minaur and Storm Hunter have already advanced to the third round after dominant victories on Wednesday.
Who can join them today? There are three Aussies playing in the field all day looking forward to the $255,000 payday that a win in the second round would bring.
First up will be Max Purcell as he faces a tough challenge in the form of 11th seeded Norwegian Casper Ruud, while later in the afternoon Thanasi Kokkinakis will look to ride a wave of support at home at John Cain Arena against 13th seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.
That match precedes the gem of the night slot, where Ajla Tomljanovic resumes her feud with Latvian star Jelena Ostapenko.
Originally published as Australian Open day 5, live scores, schedule, standings: Novak Djokovic's mystery illness
