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Novak Djokovic withdrew from an exhibition match but then made a sudden appearance to play before Rafael Nadal provided more entertainment for fans in Adelaide.
Novak Djokovic suddenly pulled out. Then, just as suddenly, he pulled in.
The world No.1 was suffering severe blisters. Then, he wasn't.
If Djokovic thought 14 days of quarantine in an Adelaide hotel was strange, his first day out was simply bizarre.
The Serbian megastar sent shockwaves through the tennis world with a sudden withdrawal from his scheduled exhibition match at Adelaide's Memorial Drive on Friday.
He pulled out just 30 minutes before showtime, his camp citing blisters on his right hand.
But after his replacement and compatriot Filip Krajinovic won the first set against Jannik Sinner 6-3, Djokovic unexpectedly appeared on court.
He showed no obvious sign of discomfort from one blister near the base of his right hand which earlier in the day had, untroubled, handballed and marked an Australian Rules football while he was bare foot at a park.
Djokovic won his set against Sinner 6-3. And then apologised.
"I am sorry that I didn't step in on the court from the beginning," he said.
"I had to do some treatment with my physio ... it's just a case whether that pain is bearable or not.
"Coming off from the hard training block and having ATP Cup and the Australian Open around the corner, you don't want to risk it too much.
"But the emotion in me was so strong ... seeing the full stands, I had to play."
After the Djokovic drama, Spain's world No.2 Rafael Nadal downed world No.3 Dominic Thiem 7-5 6-4 in the night exhibition match.
"It has been a very hard year for all the world in general and for us in Spain we were hit very hard from the virus, we are still in a very tough situation," Nadal said.
"I think Australia is an amazing, positive example of how to make things the right way to control the pandemic, so many congratulations."
Djokovic, Nadal, Thiem and other tennis stars quarantined in Adelaide in the lead-up to the Australian Open in Melbourne starting February 8.
The South Australian government created the exhibition event for the day of their release, Friday.
"The last two weeks have been great, honestly," Nadal said.
"Of course it's not easy to stay 14 days under quarantine but that is the way we need to do things today."
Djokovic, on release from hotel confines, said at the park earlier in the day that he was "thrilled to be out" of quarantine.
However, the 17-time grand slam winner was less thrilled at a question about Nick Kyrgios.
Djokovic earlier this month requested Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley ease restrictions on players quarantining in Melbourne, prompting Kyrgios to brand the Serb a "tool" on social media.
"The letter that I sent to Craig that was leaked was a private letter with suggestions ... it was portrayed as demands and that is not true," Djokovic said.
"It was misconstrued.
"And I understand that there is a lot of anger and suffering happening at the moment for people inside and outside of Australia because of what everyone is experiencing."
