EXCLUSIVE: Ambush awaits Carlos Alcaraz as dramatic 48 hours makes Novak Djokovic 'a very dangerous man'
MELBOURNE: John Millman has sounded a warning shot to Carlos Alcaraz ahead of Tuesday night's quarter-final blockbuster against Novak Djokovic, claiming that the Serbian megastar will "harness" the negative attention he's been forced to cope with over the past few days.
Djokovic on Sunday night refused an on court interview with Nine's Jim Courier in response to a Tony Jones cross on 9News that he took offence to.
The 24-time major champion has since accepted Jones' public apology but not before global headlines were made by the boycott.
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Speaking on Wide World of Sports' The Morning Serve, Millman said the dramatic 48 hours had created a perfect storm for Djokovic to spring an upset.
"He's been there and done it and I think throughout his career we've seen that when you poke him he responds," the former Aussie star said.
"It fires up the Serbian fanbase, and we've seen what it means to him playing for Serbia, and how much pride he takes in representing the Serbian nation.
"He's a very dangerous man when his back's against the wall."
During a tense 48-hour period at Melbourne Park, it has been widely noted that Djokovic tends to take barbs thrown his way in good humour, with his light-hearted exchange with a heckler during his interview that followed his third round win cited as an example.
However, when he feels as though his nation's pride is on the line, as he appears to have reacted to the Jones comments, he grits his teeth and plays for a cause bigger than himself, as he did for his country when he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in last year's Paris Olympics gold medal match, finally completing a career golden slam.
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"You've got to remember, Novak was under almost more pressure than he has at any other time during his career because of his desire to win Olympic gold," Millman said.
"He put such an emphasis on it, ever since he got ousted in Tokyo his sole focus was what he would be doing in three years time - remember it was a COVID year - at Roland-Garros.
"On those clay courts he managed to beat Carlos Alcaraz, now I would give the edge to this point in their careers on that clay court surface to Carlos Alcaraz. He managed to beat Carlos on his home soil, you know, the Rafael Nadal reincarnate.
"Now Carlos Alcaraz has to face him on Rod Laver Arena, a court he has made his own, no one's been more successful than him on that court. I mean, I just see this as an absolute cracker and if anything, perhaps Novak's the favourite."
