The moment 'illogical' Djokovic myth was busted

Jim Courier has defended the legitimacy of Novak Djokovic's hamstring injury, contempt increasing calls the 35-year-old is playing up its severity.

The Serbian appeared a small troubled by his near hamstring aboriginal successful his quarter-final lucifer with Andrey Rublev, but immoderate discomfort did not construe to the scoreboard arsenic helium won comprehensively, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

Ahead of the Australian Open, Djokovic revealed helium was battling a persistent hamstring complaint.

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Novak Djokovic plays a backhand. Strapping is seen connected his near thigh. (Getty)

The satellite No.5 won the Adelaide International earlier this month aft sustaining the wounded during his semi last triumph implicit Daniil Medvedev.

Following his ascendant archetypal week at the Australian Open, a batch of commentary has focused connected the wounded - with immoderate questioning the impairment and whether Djokovic is overexaggerating its effect.

During his lucifer connected Wednesday, Nine commentators Courier and Todd Woodbridge noted however Djokovic was altering his question patterns to support his hamstring.

Watch the Australian Open unrecorded and escaped connected the Nine Network: Channel 9, 9Gem and 9NOW.

Observing Djokovic debar sliding connected his injured near leg, Courier said immoderate disbelief of the wounded would beryllium unfair to the 21-time expansive slam winner.

"There's been a batch of chatter connected the grounds here, and I deliberation elsewhere retired successful the societal media stratosphere, wherever each things are existent of course, that Novak isn't injured," helium said.

"The grounds I would present, if I was presenting the lawsuit connected his behalf, is simply he's not moving to the shot and doing that question arsenic overmuch arsenic helium usually would.

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"He is making adjustments astatine a large - a expansive slam tourney - that you conscionable would ne'er spot him bash unless helium was acrophobic astir a problem.

"It doesn't clasp up to the logic trial that helium would beryllium faking this. Makes nary sense.

"Because by doing antithetic motions helium could hazard injuring himself successful a antithetic way."

Speaking post-match, Djokovic said helium had "been done hellhole the past 10 days" with treatments, discussing however his remainder and betterment has been antithetic this tourney than successful erstwhile years.

He has cancelled respective grooming sessions successful betwixt matches passim the tournament.

"I've been connected to machines much than I person been connected to anybody other oregon my furniture oregon thing other truly successful the days off," helium said.

"I've tried astir each biofeedback instrumentality determination is connected this satellite successful bid to get my limb ready. And it worked. I'm going to support going.

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"I miss tennis connected the days disconnected but astatine the aforesaid time, I deliberation it is important to beryllium astute and omniscient I guess, with the assemblage and these peculiar circumstances wherever it's much important to retrieve and get acceptable for adjacent challenge."

Prior to the match, Djokovic admitted helium has nary thought whether his hamstring volition proceed to clasp up, oregon whether it volition bring him down earlier lifting his 10th Australian Open trophy.

"Honestly I mean the mode I felt 1 week agone I was not reasoning astatine each astir the tourney oregon the trophy, I was reasoning to spell past different day," helium told Nine connected Tuesday night, aft defeating Alex de Minaur.

"But astatine the aforesaid clip I bash not privation to observe excessively early, I cognize things tin change, truthful let's see, let's instrumentality it time by time and spot however it goes."

Djokovic volition instrumentality connected American unseeded challenger Tommy Paul connected Friday night.

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