It increasingly feels like a case of ‘now or never’ for Novak Djokovic.
The more time passes, the less likely it is that the 38-year-old Djokovic will claim the elusive 25th Grand Slam title he covets.
If he wants to avoid Australia’s Margaret Court when it comes to all-time major wins, the smart money is on Djokovic doing it at Melbourne Park.
History shows how much he loves the place. Djokovic has won a record ten men’s titles at the Australian Open, winning a total of 102 of his 112 matches on Melbourne’s hard courts.
Given that body of work, his fans are starting to believe that the stars are aligned — with several reasons reinforcing that belief in recent days.
Firstly, fourth seed Djokovic had a narrow escape when he recklessly cracked a ball close to a ball girl during his third-round victory over Botic van de Zandschulp.
Djokovic admitted afterwards that he was “lucky”. If the ball had hit the girl, he would almost certainly have been at fault and seen another attempt at number 25 cut short by his own carelessness.
Secondly, Djokovic was given a walkover on Sunday after injured opponent Jakub Mensik withdrew from the last sixteen matches.
For some players, three days without a match can remain cold.
Given Djokovic’s advanced years and his ability to find his best form without playing regularly, it feels like a bonus heading into Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
Feeling fresher by playing one match less than future opponents – Lorenzo Musetti in the quarter-finals on Wednesday, then possibly Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner – could be crucial.
Third, Djokovic knows that his appearance – as well as his play – has overwhelmed Musetti in the past, leaving him the favorite to reach the last four.
Italian fifth seed Musetti has lost nine of his 10 matches against Djokovic, admitting he has not been “clinical or cold enough” in the past.
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