Djokovic was near perfect against Nadal in last year’s
Australian Open final and, before his bid for a record-extending eighth title, he knows he has the measure of the world No 1 and Federer
Dan Evans, whose rebirth as one of the wiliest operators on the tour is complete, has to win two matches here for an appointment with the defending champion,
Novak Djokovic – while Kyle Edmund has three players blocking his path to the Serb in the fourth round.
The second scenario depends on the applecart remaining firmly in place: Djokovic negotiates the tricky first-round challenge of Jan-Lennard Struff, a second-round match against a wildcard or qualifier – and then beats Evans, who played the best tennis of his career in the ATP Cup in
Sydney last week to seal a seeding here for the first time.