Djokovic was similarly perplexed on the court despite technically falling foul of the rules, as he pleaded his case to the umpire but received little sympathy for his protests.

The 36-year-old was visibly peeved at the umpire’s call, while fans inside the Rod Laver Arena similarly groaned in disagreement as they felt that Djokovic should have been allowed to serve.

But the Serb was able to recover and win the point and then game in the third set, moving ahead 2-1 before stretching that advantage as he looked to set up a potential showdown with American star Ben Shelton in the next round.