The temperature in Mariam Katsitadze’s home city of Tblisi, Georgia, was an icy minus three degrees on Tuesday afternoon, Melbourne time.

Meanwhile, 13,400km away in John Cain Arena it was a muggy 37 degrees. But Katsitadze, 39, and her daughter Nila Tavadze, 13, were determined to be here to cheer on their compatriot, Nikoloz Basilashvili, the only male Georgian player in the Australian Open.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s 45 degrees, I want to to support the Georgian player, Basilashvili,” Katsitadze said.

The pair waved a large, red and white Georgian flag and shouted: “Midi, midi Nikoloz! (go, go Nikoloz).”

Katsitadze’s husband is a diplomat, currently working in Melbourne, and she always brings a Georgian flag on her travels.

“I am very proud of my country. I will never miss a chance to support Georgia,” Katsitadze said.

Katsitadze hoped it might spur Basilashvili, ranked 90 in the world to beat the much more fancied, ninth-ranked and eighth-seeded American Taylor Fritz.

“Why not?” she said. “I think he will appreciate it. We can cheer him up somehow.”

However, Basilashvili will need a minor miracle to emerge victorious as he now trails 4-6, 2-6.

Katsitadze said she agreed with Australian Open officials banning fans displaying the Russian flag.

“That’s fair because something needs to stop them [Russia in the war against Ukraine]. When they [Russia] realise that they are not welcome, in sport competitions, in cultural events and everything, they will stop the war, stop the violence,” she said.