EXCLUSIVE: Wally Masur's praise for 'freakish' Novak Djokovic ahead of Australian Open decider
Australian tennis great Wally Masur was full of praise for Novak Djokovic ahead of the Australian Open men's final on Sunday.
In his 18th showing at the Melbourne major, Djokovic has upheld his practically unbeatable record Down Under - only dropping one set during his superb campaign.
Asked exactly what makes the 21-time grand slam champion so good, Masur underlined Djokovic's sharp memory, dedication to his craft and efficient balance of skills.
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"He's got a mind like a steel trap," he told Stan Sport's Grand Slam Daily.
"He wants it really badly, he leaves no stone unturned.
"His approach to the game is so scientific, whether it be physio, rehab, prehab, preparation - his data analysis is second to none. He's incredibly professional.
"He's consumed by the sport. I think he's got his eye on history. I think he wants the most slam titles.
"He's pretty complete, he's a freakish athlete for this sport.
"He has this sort of elastic energy. You see him at full stretch and he can stay balanced at full stretch while playing a meaningful shot, then you can power out a slide and he's back in the point and he'll do it time and time again.
"Incredible athlete - one of the most balanced tennis players I've ever seen. He's pretty complete."
However, not everything has gone Djokovic's way this tournament.
"Some of it is his own doing and some of it is out of his control... A lot of distractions," Neroli Meadows said of the challenges Djokovic has had to overcome in Australia.
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On his return to the country, the 35-year-old had to rebuild his public image in Melbourne after last year's deportation scandal.
He then suffered a hamstring injury in the lead-up to the Australian Open, which he has battled throughout the two week campaign.
Djokovic has also taken on the burden of distraction at the pointy end of the tournament after his father, Srdjan, was filmed at a pro-Russia rally outside the precinct last week.
"I think it just speaks to how he can compartmentalise things because, with a lot of the top players, there are things that are going on - could be with family, it could be with a friend, it could be illness, it could be a whole lot of things," Masur said.
"I think it's amazing, you know how the good players like Novak in particular, and there have been times in the past too where he struggled with injury and various things are going on.
"But he can just find that moment in the match where the only thing that matters is that point. And to be in the moment I think is an extraordinary ability for a tennis player because there are so many points, so many moments.
"But to be able to eradicate the past, [acknowledge] the future hasn't happened yet, [and] to be in the now, that is one of Novak's great strengths."
Djokovic will meet Greek player Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.
Ranked fifth and fourth in the world respectively, the pair have faced each other on 12 occasions, including in the final at Roland-Garros in 2021.
Djokovic leads their head-to-head record 10-2.
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