Novak Djokovic could next week become king of Rod Laver Arena for an incredible seventh time. But is his coronation a foregone conclusion?

Perhaps not. The world No 1 was largely dominant against the exciting 19-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov. But he also dropped a set, for the first time in the tournament, and generally seemed more irritable and antsy than you might have expected.

Djokovic spent much of the third set complaining about the stadium’s lights, which had been turned on at the behest of broadcasters, even though there was bright sunshine on most of the court.

Then, when a crowd member shouted out “No pressure” between his first and second serves, he started barking obscenities in Serbian, and earned a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct from chair umpire Damien Dumusois.

“I misconducted myself verbally,” said Djokovic afterwards, coming up with a neat euphemism for his sweary outburst. “That why I got the code violation. I mean, it's not the first, nor the last time.”