Add Category
Tennis legend Rod Laver believes it is going to require something "miraculous" for anyone to stop Novak Djokovic winning an 11th Australian Open.
Laver appeared at Melbourne Park for the first time all tournament on Saturday after making the long-haul flight from his California base.
The Rockhampton Rocket says Djokovic is still the man to beat, even suggesting the Serb might be hoodwinking his rivals with his unusually laborious first-week progression.
"He has all the shots. He knows exactly when he could play them and when he can't play them," Laver said.
"It is almost to me like he's priming himself to get through to the final. He'll lose a set somewhere in these five-setters and I'm thinking 'Is he having us on' because he could win this in two and two and two (6-2 6-2 6-2).
"He's such a great athlete to begin with, but his mind also is tennis and so he sees it almost unfold in front of him, just what he should be doing.
"That is how he is being a great champion.
"He serves well, his groundstrokes are unbeatable so I have to believe unless someone miraculously plays their best tennis to knock him off, they can start putting part of his initials on the trophy now."