Not even the Melbourne weather that played havoc with yesterday’s Australian Open could derail the return, at 10.28pm on Tuesday, of a very high profile, prodigal Balkan.
It was midnight when play was finally called off on the outside courts after a rain-plagued evening — leaving Thanasi Kokkinakis just five points off a first round victory — but the wider focus was very much on one covered court and one man.
Only the deeply cynical or those oblivious to public mood would have predicted anything other than the warmest of returns for Novak Djokovic and so it transpired, loud cheers and Serbian flags fluttering on all sides of a packed Rod Laver Arena.
His first match in two years here surprisingly dragged, the eventual two hour 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 victory over Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena plodded for long spells before a blistering last set in which Djokovic dropped just four points.
It was midnight when play was finally called off on the outside courts after a rain-plagued evening — leaving Thanasi Kokkinakis just five points off a first round victory — but the wider focus was very much on one covered court and one man.
Only the deeply cynical or those oblivious to public mood would have predicted anything other than the warmest of returns for Novak Djokovic and so it transpired, loud cheers and Serbian flags fluttering on all sides of a packed Rod Laver Arena.
His first match in two years here surprisingly dragged, the eventual two hour 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 victory over Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena plodded for long spells before a blistering last set in which Djokovic dropped just four points.
