They came feeling peevish and left jubilant: Djokovic’s fans on their rocky ride

The passionate fans of Novak Djokovic had a peevish start to the week. But what happened on Tuesday night – their hero’s first appearance on a match court since Nine newsman Tony Jones told off-colour jokes about him – was almost enough to wipe away their anger.

Hundreds of fans wearing the colours of Serbia streamed into Melbourne Park at 5pm still feeling slighted, then streamed out eight hours later jubilant – having ridden every electrifying point of a match Djokovic, himself, said he wished had been the final.

Dandenong’s Sara Djakovic at Melbourne Park cheering on her near-namesake, Novak Djokovic, in his blockbuster quarter-final. Credit: Michael Bachelard

Friends Sanja Sucevic and Vesna Medojevic said they’d come specifically because of Jones’ reference to kicking Djokovic out of the country, even though “most of us are working tomorrow”.

They wanted to express their support for a man who, for Serbian Australians, is not just a tennis player, but a national hero.

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