MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic came to Australia with a mission, or really a series of them.
To win the championship he had won nine times once again. To win a 22nd Grand Slam men’s singles title and draw even with his rival Rafael Nadal at the top of the list. To remove any doubt anyone might have about whether he remains the world’s dominant player, the most commanding player of the last decade and now this one, too. To show the world that the only way to keep him from winning nearly any tennis tournament is to not let him play.