- Match scheduled to start at 8.30am (GMT)
- ‘On another level’: Djokovic has the winning look in his eyes
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Here they come! Both players out on court, with Djokovic getting a big ovation. Plenty of Serbian flags fluttering in the stands at the Rod Laver Arena. It’s currently a balmy 26 degrees in Melbourne.
Head-to-head: Djokovic leads Rublev 2-1 in their three previous meetings, having beaten Rublev twice on hard courts at the ATP finals – but the Russian can take heart from a victory in last year’s Belgrade final. Admittedly, that was on clay and Djokovic was not in peak form – but Rublev won the last set 6-0, the only player other than Rafa Nadal to bagel big Nolé in the last five years.