It seemed like a process for the nine-time champion in Melbourne and 21-time Grand Slam winner against a 27-year-old rival, ranked 191st in the ATP rankings and with only two victories in a major in his career.
However, the Serbian, who faced some drunk fans and argued with the referee, needed to use himself to close in four sets (6-1, 6-7 [5/7]6-2, 6-0) a game in which he again felt discomfort in his right leg.
“The situation with my injury is not ideal,” the 35-year-old Serb acknowledged after the match. “I’m worried, I’m not going to lie. And I have reason to be worried,” continued “Nole”, who explained that he is not training to protect the muscle.
“I have to accept the circumstances and try to adjust (…) There are two options: leave it or continue. I’m going to continue,” he insisted.
The match at the Rod Laver Arena, where the Spanish Rafael Nadal fell the day before, began in the best way for Djokovic, with a quick set in favor in which his rival also requested medical assistance due to knee pain.
But everything changed in the second set, with a clear improvement in the Frenchman’s first serves, which led the set to a tiebreaker.
Faced with the growing expectation of the stands, Couacaud pulled off some brilliant points at that decisive moment, such as a defensive lob followed by a forehand that Djokovic did not go over the net or a powerful volley shot after cornering his rival.
Unaccustomed to this predicament against such a low-ranked player, and annoyed with a group of spectators who supposedly rebuked him, Djokovic went so far as to put his hand to his ear after winning a point soon after.
The Serbian’s anger with those spectators reached the last set, when he approached the chair umpire to ask for his expulsion from the stands.
“He’s been drunk, out of his head from the first point, taunting me,” he told her. “What are you going to do with it? Why don’t you kick him out of the stadium?” he continued.
Shortly after, four fans, beers in hand, were escorted by security guards out of the stadium.