2021 Australian Open...ATP 2000...Melbourne, Australia

[stotty]

The stands have been cleared as Melbourne now on lockdown. Fritz serving at 5-4 to even match at 2 sets all vs Novak.

All Novak has to do is move a little bit and he'd win this match. You wonder if there is any point carrying on to be honest. At thought at first he was rope-a-doping but it seems he isn't

Fritz not the quickest player on the tour and would normally get pulled around from pillar to post in this match. Nice player otherwise...just way too slow.

[stroke]

I am not certain he is not rope-a-doping. Novak looks fine at times. Fritz pulls this out, he is a dark horse no longer. He has a great game.

[stotty]

Novak wins in five. What was that all about God only knows. Sometimes the man is hard to understand.

[stroke]

Novak wins in five. What was that all about God only knows. Sometimes the man is hard to understand.

Who knows. That seems to kind of be the way Novak handles pressure. He comes up with some kind of imaginary injury and then somehow plays through it. Works for him it seems. Sometimes, the rope a dope really costs him. The FO final vs Nadal, did not work. The FO semi loss to Thiem 2019, did not work. He is the best rope a doper ever, no doubt.

[stotty]

Who knows. That seems to kind of be the way Novak handles pressure. He comes up with some kind of imaginary injury and then somehow plays through it. Works for him it seems. Sometimes, the rope a dope really costs him. The FO final vs Nadal, did not work. The FO semi loss to Thiem 2019, did not work. He is the best rope a doper ever, no doubt.

You're probably right. It just baffles the hell out of me.

[stroke]

You're probably right. It just baffles the hell out of me.

I do not think it will ever work for anyone also. Tomic used to try his own tribute to Novak's rope-a-dope where he acted disinterested or whatever to bring down his opponent's level, and then up his. The problem was that morphed into tanking way too much. A slippery slope I would imagine. On a side note, I have never seen Novak rope-a-dope/fight through an injury during a routine win.

[stroke]

Today's best matchups, not as tasty as the top half of the draw:

Berrettini vs Khachanov
Fognini vs the demon

The 4th round should be very good.

[stotty]

Well I don't fancy young Norrie's chances tomorrow but I guess stranger things have happened. I do love watching Fognini though so hopefully he will supply us with some fireworks. My son tells me Rublev is on form although I haven't watched him so far.

Medvedev is looking hot at the moment and is favourite in my view. How are the bookies with Novak chances? They are bound to have some insight in the likelihood he's rope-a-doping or whether or injured and adjust the odds accordingly. Savvy lot those bookies.

Who is this Karatsev sneaking up on the inside lane with some astounding scorelines? He's only lost twenty games so far! Has he even lost his serve yet?

[stroke]

The odds have shifted as you suspected from Novak's woes. Medvedev now the favorite to win the tournament at +300, Thiem +400, Novak now +450, Nadal +600.

[stotty]

Norrie off to a reasonable start. One always hopes it won't be an embarrassing when one's own country takes on any of the big 3 but luckily Nadal is off to a messy start, missing easy balls and shanking here and there. Really hoping Norrie can settle in here and make a decent account of himself.

[stotty]

Both matches looking like one-way traffic at the moment. Both Rafa and Fognini being 2 sets to love up. Fognini is looking classy...just love that super efficient forehand and great movement. If he hadn't been such a spoilt Italian rich kid, he might have been holding a slam or two by now.

[stroke]

Agree completely. Fabio has one of the best forehands in tennis, and it appears to me, his young countryman, Berrettini, has almost identical technique on his forehand, which to me is equally good to Fognini's. Fognini definitely has the game to win a Grand Slam, but as you say, just a bit too spoiled. I think Berenttini will get one.

[stotty]

I wake up this morning to find Thiem has been bumped out of the tournament in straight sets. I didn't see that coming. Zverev looked impressive.

Novak seems to have made a remarkable recovery, moving like shit of a shovel and missing very little. Novak is one set up as I speak and Milos looks like he'll need 75%of first serves in to win from here.

I see both Serena and Osaka squeezed through. I don't know how Serena does it. She moves like a donkey these days. You'd think one of the young upstarts would send her packing out of the tournament but it rarely seems to happen.

[stroke]

Novak looks completely recovered from the suspected tear. Oddsmakers have moved him back to the tournament favorite. Medvedev #2.

[stotty]

Novak breaks to go 3-1 in the third. He hits a backhand down the line on the stretch to set up the break that required every sinew of core strength imaginable. You have to believe there's nothing wrong with the guy.

I do think he is genuinely psychosomatic though.