World No 7 is not fully fit but has mental edge in semi-final over opponent who has repeatedly cowered under pressure

Even before he had undergone medical tests, defined the nature of his physical ailment and planned for his recovery, Novak Djokovic knew what was in store for him in the days after his remarkable quarter-final victory over Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday, which he pulled off despite struggling with left thigh pain.

Just as he suggested post-match, Djokovic has not been present on the practice courts at Melbourne Park for Friday’s semi-final with Alexander Zverev. After being absent from the practice schedule on Wednesday, his scheduled 2pm training session had been wiped from the list on Thursday morning.