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
![Djokovic’s Melbourne haven may be hazardous for Nadal and Federer | Kevin Mitchell](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/893ecba36a85161b8a159fce04ab346a111b108e/94_0_4752_2851/master/4752.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=c76b5994a3221360e442f96fa06a6601)
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.