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Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic said a confrontation with a spectator was the spark he “needed” to hold off Alexei Popyrin and avoid a shock second-round exit.
Djokovic, chasing a record-extending 11th men’s title in Melbourne, looked far from his best in the four-set win.
The Serb told one spectator to “come down and tell it to my face” during the fourth set after repeated heckling.
“Maybe that was needed for me to be shaken up a bit,” said Djokovic, 36.
The world number one said he did not “want to be in those types of situations” but added the incident helped him to “start to find the kind of intensity on the court” that was required for him to see out a 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 victory.
The inspired Popyrin, ranked 43rd, entertained the partisan home crowd as he won the second set to level the match before losing a pivotal third set in a tie-break after failing to capitalise on four set points.
With the fourth set level at 2-2, Djokovic – who admitted he felt “flat emotionally” – said he engaged with the fan because his patience had run out after “a lot of things” were shouted at him during the match.
“There was a lot of things that were being told to me on the court, particularly from that corner, and the same side in the other corner.
“I was tolerating it for most of the match. At one point I had enough, and I asked him whether he wanted to come down and tell it to my face.
“He didn’t have the courage to come down. That’s what I was asking him. If you have courage, if you’re such a tough guy, come down and tell it to my face, and let’s have a discussion about it.
“He was apologising from far away. That’s all it is.”
READ MORE:Sluggish Novak Djokovic wins third set against Alexei Popyrin – latest updates
Djokovic came through the longest first-round Grand Slam match of his career against teenage qualifier Dino Prizmic on Sunday, playing for four hours and one minute.
The early stages of his second match of the tournament suggested it would be a much quicker encounter for the Serb, who took 38 minutes to claim the opener after sealing the decisive break with a stunning cross-court winner to go 5-3 up before consolidating.
However, Popyrin – the world number 43 – proved to be a bigger threat than rankings suggested.
Having gone a break up in the fourth game, Popyrin missed the chance to serve out the second set, but he redeemed himself in front of his home fans with a sensational lob to break at 5-4 and level the match.
Djokovic survived four set points before racing through the tie-break to close out a dramatic third set and put himself in the driving seat.
And, after confrontating the heckler in the stands, the 24-time major winner thrived on the crowd’s hostility to break for a 4-2 lead. Missing out on four match points, he claimed victory with the fifth as the clock struck midnight at Melbourne Park.
“I don’t think I played at the highest level,” Djokovic said. “I didn’t do anything special – he was a better player for a set and a half. Things changed around and the momentum shifted in the tie-break.”
Djokovic will face Tomas Martin Etcheverry next after the Argentine 30th seed, who conquered Andy Murray in straight sets on Monday, won 6-4 6-4 6-4 against Gael Monfils.
