Novak Djokovic seemingly pain free in entertaining exhibition match against Nick Kyrgios ahead of the Australian Open
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Updated 13/01/2023 at 17:50 GMT
Djokovic was forced to cut short his previous practice match due to hamstring issues, but moved freely as he and Nick Kyrgios put on an entertaining exhibition match on Rod Laver Arena ahead of the Australia Open. After winning a set each, the pair were joined by wheelchair players David Wagner and Heath Davidson for a tie-break, before two young starts stole the show.
'Cheers!' - Djokovic and Kyrgios share drinks during match as fans applaud
Novak Djokovic was relaxed and seemingly free from pain as he and Nick Kyrgios put on an entertaining exhibition match ahead of the Australian Open.
Djokovic suffered an injury scare in his previous outing on court - cutting short his practice match with Daniil Medvedev after just 36 minutes due to hamstring issues - which he said were “okay” before taking to the Rod Laver Arena with Kyrgios.
All appeared well as Djokovic moved with ease through his opening game - holding serve with little sign of aggravation.
It was not long before the pair began showboating to entertain the crowd, and after a rally of close range volleys at the net, Kyrgios pulled level as Djokovic’s wild tweener (shot through his legs!) went out.
The pair played by Fast4 rules, which is a format used to shorten the length of a match. It sees a player take the set if they reach four games with a 2-game lead, with a tie-break taking place if the set score reaches 3-3.
Kyrgios continued to test the pliability of Djokovic’s hamstrings throughout the first set, regularly throwing in challenging drop shots to get the Serbian darting around the court.
However, the former World No.1 was up to the challenge and, although neither player was playing at full throttle, the pair produced an enjoyable first set - taken on a tie-break by Kyrgios - in front of a capacity crowd.
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Djokovic attempts tweener against Kyrgios - and it doesn't go well
Despite having the advantage after the first set, Kyrgios said he was struggling to get the ball past “one of the best athletes to take the court” in Djokovic.
For Djokovic, he has enjoyed his return to Australia so far - a year after being unable to play at the Australian Open after being deported from the country due to his Covid vaccine status.
The 21-time Grand Slam champion arrived in Melbourne on the back of success at the Adelaide International last week, where he saw off Sebastian Korda in a thrilling final.
He needed to show some of that class to get himself back into his exhibition match with Kyrgios and did so by breaking the home favourite at the start of the second set.
After the controversy surrounding his last trip to the country, Djokovic would have been unsure of the reception he would receive this year, but it seemed the crowd were only too willing to help him.
After a tactical discussion with a fan watching from the stands, Djokovic proceeded to lob Kyrgios to win the second game, which was followed by a high-five with his new-found ‘coach’.
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Djokovic dances to celebrate winning point after Kyrgios underarm serve
Djokovic produced a series of dance moves during breaks in play to suggest he was thoroughly enjoying his emotional return to Melbourne - and looked far from someone worried about their fitness as they prepare to go in search of their 10th Australian Open title next week.
He won the second set 4-2 to take the exhibition match to a tie-break, where wheelchair players David Wagner and Heath Davidson entered the action to finish the clash with doubles.
With the players wearing Britney-esque microphones, the crowd were treated to in-game commentary from the players. With Kyrgios serving, Djokovic announced how “87% of the time he goes down the T”, with the Australian obliging, before hammering his next shot into the body of Djokovic, who dramatically fell to the floor.
With Team Djokovic 6-4 ahead, two young players switched in for Wagner and Davidson to finish off the match.
The young stars drew the biggest cheers from the crowd with their impressive play - most notably excellent serving from both.
The match concluded with Kyrgios’ partner smashing a Djokovic return cross court to give Team Kyrgios the victory 10-9 in the tie-break.
Should Djokovic and Kyrgios’ paths cross again in Melbourne, it will be in more serious circumstances - with the quarter-final stage being the first time they could meet each other at the Australian Open.
Djokovic begins the tournament against Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena, while 19th seed Kyrgios takes on Russia’s Roman Safiullin.
Speaking after the exhibition match, talking about Djokovic, Kyrgios said, “It’s so important to have him around. One of the greatest already left us last year, Roger (Federer). I don’t think we actually knew how special these guys are to our sport.”
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'We lost Federer, Djokovic important for tennis' - Kyrgios pays tribute to opponent
Ahead of trying to win again in Melbourne, Djokovic said, “This is the court and the stadium where I created the best memories of my professional tennis career”, having already won nine titles in the Australian city, with his first coming in 2008.
“15 years later I’m here again and competing at a high level so I must be very grateful for this opportunity to be here so I must thank you for welcoming me in a good way.”
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