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Strife Returns for Djokovic. He Is Back in the Australian Open Final Anyway.

Djokovic will play for his 22nd Grand Slam title on Sunday against Stefanos Tsitsipas. Will his father, Srdjan, be in his usual seat in the stands to cheer him on?

Novak Djokovic will play for his 22nd Grand Slam title against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday.Credit...Aaron Favila/Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia — For Novak Djokovic, everything was going according to plan. Even better than that, by many measures.

He had charmed a country that had kicked him out a year ago over his refusal to be vaccinated. The soreness in his hamstring at the beginning of the tournament had all but disappeared, allowing him to look nearly invincible in the crucial second week of the tournament.