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Novak Djokovic on Fire
Photo: CARL RECINE / REUTERS
Top favorite Novak Djoković survived the second round of the Australian Open with difficulty.
However, it wasn't just his opponent, Frenchman Enzo Couacaud, who bothered him.
The Serb also suffered from a sore thigh in between.
He was also clearly annoyed by heckling from the audience.
In the fourth set, Djoković complained to the referee that he had been provoked several times by a group of fans.
One spectator in particular annoyed the 35-year-old.
“The boy is completely drunk, from the first point he wanted to provoke me.
He's not here to watch tennis.
He just wants to get into my head," complained the 21-time Grand Slam tournament winner.
He asked the referee to send the group away.
However, the referee did not do this at first, but merely warned the fans to exercise restraint.
However, the group was then led off the pitch.
Djokovic had previously had little joy in the game.
After a loose first set, which he won 6-1, his thighs got stronger and stronger, the Serb broke off his sprints several times and then hobbled.
Couacaud took advantage of this skillfully, let Djoković run and won the tie-break of the second set.
The world number one had to take a longer medical break and left the pitch briefly to be treated in the dressing room.
He then returned clearly recovered and won the next two sets 6:2 and 6:0.
In the third round, the exceptional player, unbeaten at the Australian Open since 2018, meets the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, whom he called his "Balkan brother": "I hope it will be an entertaining match."
aha/dpa