Australian Open 2024: Novak Djokovic struggles again in battling second-round win over Alexei Popyrin

Djokovic was given another scare to continue what has been a shaky start to his Australian Open defence

There have been few greater tennis certainties in recent times than a Novak Djokovic win at the Australian Open.

It is six years ago since he last tasted defeat in Melbourne but, for the second straight match, he was uncharacteristically pushed to the limit.

He had heralded 18-year-old Dino Prizmic as a star of the future when he took him to four sets and his longest-ever opening-round match at the Australian Open on day one.

Against Alexei Popyrin, who played arguably the match of his life, it was a remarkably similar scoreline and yet felt closer still.

Djokovic saved four set points to avoid going two sets to one down against the Australian player, who delighted his home crowd with his performance.

But as is so often the case with the world No1, he somehow found a way to win, edging the contest 6-3, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 pretty much on the stroke of midnight local time.

It appeared to be business as usual inside the Rod Laver Arena - where he has had the most success of his career - in the opening set.

But in a see-saw match he broken in the second set by Popyrin, who deservedly levelled the match. Popyrin went a break up in the second set only for Djokovic to break back before having to then dig deep to erase the quartet of set points against him.

Despite his opponent’s best efforts, the 24-time grand slam champion managed to save his best tennis for the resulting tiebreak.

That result didn’t exactly extinguish the fire in Popyrin’s game and, despite being broken again, denied Djokovic match points at 5-2. But it only briefly curtailed a result which, by then, had become inevitable.

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