MELBOURNE – In the summer of 2000, a champion at Wimbledon has tendinitis. He is hobbling and impeded, winces and wins. Not everyone is convinced though and the New York Times writes before the semi-finals that Pete Sampras’ injury “has been treated as an allegation and not a fact”.

Twenty-three years later and a continent away, a Serb limps and grimaces. His hamstring is strapped but cynics thinks it’s worth only a plaster. He is playing tennis like we’ve rarely seen but for some Novak Djokovic is never good enough.