As Novak Djokovic continues to move through the distractions, history awaits in the Australian Open final. The Serbian is into his 10th in Melbourne and stands on the verge of joining Rafael Nadal on 22nd grand slam titles after shaking off an uncertain start and some new controversy to motor past Tommy Paul in straight sets. A “crisis” midway through the first set was one of a few uncomfortable moments the 35-year-old has encountered on his return to Australia, the latest the emergence of a video of his father Srdjan posing with Vladimir Putin supporters on Wednesday night.
After last year’s deportation and this year’s hamstring injury, it was another obstacle for Djokovic to face after his smooth progress past Alex De Minaur and Andrey Rublev in the previous rounds. Srdjan, who said he was unwittingly caught up in the pro-Russian demonstration, was absent from his box and in the opening stages against Paul, Djokovic cut a frustrated and irritated figure. Edgy and wide-eyed, Djokovic blew a 5-1 lead in the first set among an avalanche of unforced errors, offering Paul a leg-up into what was the first grand slam semi-final of the 25-year-old’s career.
