Novak Djokovic has no pretensions to being a super spy but the number 007 has got the Australian Open champion “pumped” ahead of the year’s first grand slam.
Djokovic, 29, joined Roy Emerson as the most successful men’s champion at the Australian Open last year when he beat Andy Murray for his sixth title at Melbourne Park.
Seven, however, has a nice sound to it, the world No 2 said on Thursday.
“007, Why not? Maybe this is the year. Seven in 17. I’m not a numerologist but it sounds good,” Djokovic said in an interview on the Australian Open website on Thursday.
“In terms of my feelings of coming to Melbourne, the last five or six years it has been pretty much the same. I am very pumped to do well.”
Doing well and Djokovic go hand-in-hand in Melbourne.
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Read more
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■ Gallery: Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and Federer hit the practice courts
■ Rafael Nadal: Excited by 'new generation of fantastic players — tennis needs it'
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In recent years he has made the blue hardcourts near the centre of the city his own, winning the men’s title five times in the last six years since 2011.
Such has been his dominance since he won his first grand slam title in Australia in 2008, he has lost just three times at Melbourne Park.
All were in the quarter-finals, with the 2014 loss coming at the hands of eventual champion Stan Wawrinka. Every time he has made the final, he has won the tournament.
In four of those finals he has beaten current world No 1 Murray, who he also bettered in a scintillating final in Doha at the weekend.
Murray had a phenomenal second half of 2016 that included clinching his second Wimbledon title and Olympic gold at Rio as Djokovic’s season dramatically fell off after he beat his rival at Roland Garros.
The Briton’s strong form vaulted him to the top of the world rankings meaning Djokovic is not the top seed at the season-opening grand slam for the first time since 2014.
“Andy deserves to be No 1,” Djokovic said. “He had a tremendous last six months of 2016.
“This year we have already played a thrilling match and I am looking forward to our rivalry.
“Considering the memories I have and the results in the past I am really looking forward to being back again. I’m not the only one who is excited but it does give me goose bumps to come back (and) ... I’m feeling phenomenal.”
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Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
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The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
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Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
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Torque: 385 and 650Nm
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
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Remaining fixtures
Third-place-play-off: Portugal v Mexico, 4pm on Sunday
Final: Chile v Germany, 10pm on Sunday
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Uefa Nations League: How it Works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
