Australian Open 2014 - Lukas Lacko v Novak Djokovic: live - Telegraph 9.55 Lacko 3-6 6-7 (2-7) 1-4 Djokovic* The length of my posts tell the full story really. Djokovic serves: I write a sentence or two. Lacko serves: I write plenty more. This time round Lacko wins a point by charging to the net and thumping an overhead smash, but that's all for the Slovakian. 9.52 *Lacko 3-6 6-7 (2-7) 1-3 Djokovic The unforced error count for this match stands at 26 apiece. Yet Djokovic has rarely appeared overly flustered, despite his backhand going astray for a part of that second set. Lacko takes a 30-15 lead with the Serbian's forehand going long and he follows up by adding to the unforced error count, hitting a simple forehand wide as Lacko holds. 9.49 Lacko 3-6 6-7 (2-7) 0-3 Djokovic* Another 30-second service game from the four-time Australian Open champion? Well he makes swift work of the first couple of points... and swift work of the next two. So to summarise: swift work of all four points and a 40-0 game. 9.47 *Lacko 3-6 6-7 (2-7) 0-2 Djokovic Let's hope the Slovakian doesn't just fall away in this third set. He hasn't shown any signs of doing so thus far, but losing that tie-break was a big blow to his slim hopes of winning the match. Lacko goes long when under little pressure to go 15-30 down and Djokovic, finding his range and confident of exploiting his full power now, dominates his opponent and moving him around the court before bringing up two break points. Lacko saves the first but hits a forehand into the net and Djokovic breaks. 9.43 Lacko 3-6 6-7 (2-7) 0-1 Djokovic* The Serbian will get the third set underway. And he takes all of a few seconds to make it 1-0. 9.39 Lacko 3-6 6-7 (2-7) Djokovic You have to fancy the Serbian to win this tie-break, with the ease he has been holding serve, while troubling his opponent when receiving. Indeed he makes swift work of his own serves and Lacko drops himself in it by duffing a weak backhand halfway up the net to give the Serbian a 2-3 lead. An ace takes Djokovic's lead to 2-5 and the second seed has four set points with Lacko again hitting the net. He only needs one of them though, Djoko pouncing on a poor Lacko drop shot to take the second set. 9.34 Lacko 3-6 6-6 Djokovic* So Novak now has to serve to stay in the set for a second time. Not that the first occasion troubled him for more than a few seconds. The Serbian races to a 30-0 lead again, before winning the game 40-15 with only a minor blip courtesy of an unforced error on his own forehand. Tie-break here we come. 9.29 *Lacko 3-6 6-5 Djokovic Still no break in this second set then and Lacko doesn't want that record to end, executing a glorious backhand, fully extending his amrs through the shot to give Djokovic no chance of returning on his forehand side. The Slovakian continues to play his shots for a 40-15 lead... but throws away the chance to seal the game by sticking a forehand wide with an open court in front of him. Deuce it is then, before Lacko comes to the net and asserts himself on his opponent, eventually taking 'Ad' with a backhand down the line. Remember how the last Lacko service game played out? Same again here. Back to deuce before Lacko takes the advantage for a second time and closes it out. 9.24 Lacko 3-6 5-5 Djokovic* Is there any chance Lacko can break to win an unexpected set here? Erm... unforced error one, unforced error two, unforced error three and Djokovic smahses a forehand down the line to hold to love in about 30 seconds. This bloke will be pleased in his new role as Djokovic's coach: 9.20 *Lacko 3-6 5-4 Djokovic Whooping galore from the Melbourne crowd after one of the points of the match that possessed a bit of everything. Lacko comes to the net, chips over Djokovic who loops a lob over his Slovakian opponent once and attempts to do so for a second time but can't quite the dip to land it inside the baseline. Novak responds with a dismissive forehand to wrongfoot his opponent and bring the score back to 30-30 before spying a break point as Lacko goes long. Can he take it? Not at the first time of asking, with Djokovic unable to return serve. And Lacko wins the advantage, coming to the net and forcing Djokovic long with another attempted lob. Back to deuce we go though, this time Novak coming to the net. It's 'Ad' Lacko for a second time but then back to deuce again. And repeat the advantage Lacko-deuce routine for a third time. Before finally he holds at the fourth time of asking. 9.12 Lacko 3-6 4-4 Djokovic* New balls for the No 2 seed who shows sheer power to force Lacko backwards and onto the defensive, merely plonking the ball back into play when he possibly can. The Serbian moves 30-0 up before a glimmer of hope from Lacko with a great crosscourt forehand to seal a rare point on the Novak serve. That's the only one he'll get for now though. Another hold. 9.08 *Lacko 3-6 4-3 Djokovic Djokovic is not the happiest of bunnies out there today but his scowl may soon turn upside down as he takes a 0-30 lead and spies a crucial break of serve. Nope, I seem to have spoken too soon with the Serbian drilling another low backhand into the net and following up with a string of Serbian expletives. Lacko takes heart, drilling an ace for 30-30 and he expertly works Djoko left and then right to take the lead before closing out the game. 9.05 Lacko 3-6 3-3 Djokovic* Novak is not going to have this all his own way today. The Serbian takes the opening point after advancing to the net but Lacko hits back with a sublime backhand down the line to get the crowd very excited. Anything you can do etc... as Novak claws his way back into the third point when seemingly floored, sliding to his right and clipping a delightful low forehand winner which prompts the Slovakian to stand and applaud. On goes the Serbian march to win the game. 9.00 *Lacko 3-6 3-2 Djokovic Another convenient time for my feed to cut out... And we are back with Lacko 40-30 up on serve. You suspect that one break from Djokovic would seal this set. That hasn't happened though as Djoko hits a forehand long again for Lacko to hold. He's not at the top of his game, the Serbian. 8.57 Lacko 3-6 2-2 Djokovic* So this has already proven to be more of a contest than many people expected. Lacko is not letting himself be pushed back at the baseline and he forces the Serbian into yet another unforced error - one that means he has produced five more than his heralded Slovakian opponent in this match. The serve bails Novak out twice in a row to take a 30-15 lead. Oh and there's something you will want to see on YouTube later! Djoko crashes a forehand which Lacko runs past and flings the racket behind his back, somehow succeeding in knocking the ball back over the net. Despite such heroics, the Serbian still wins the point and follows up by taking the game. 8.53 *Lacko 3-6 2-1 Djokovic The adverts are back... On court Lacko is attempting some metaphorical chest thumping to show that whatever Djokovic can do, so can the Slovakian. A couple of big serves make it 30-15. But that is why Djokovic has won this tournament for the past three years, hitting a sublime cross-court backhand across Lacko as the world No 90 advanced to the net. Alas he follows it up with two uncharacteristic backhand errors and Lacko takes the game. 8.50 Lacko 3-6 1-1 Djokovic* I didn't see Djokovic lose his serve in the first set but I can't really imagine how it happened. Twice he produces aces to move 30-15 up in this game... in fact make that 40-15 with a brilliant serve out wide that has Lacko at full stretch but still nowhere near the ball. The Slovakian finally gets a serve back in court but Djokovic nails his forehand and that is a completely dominant hold. Here is the great man enjoying some juice. Bet you're pleased I posted that. 8.47 *Lacko 3-6 1-0 Djokovic And here we go again with Lacko to serve. The Slovakian hasn't played badly thus far but... oh for ******** sake, adverts keep on popping up all over my dodgy internet feed of this match. I've finally got rid of them and the Slovakian is 40-15 up. He's holding his own but Djokovic pulls out one of his trademark low backhand drives down the line which Lacko is unable to return. No bother though, an ace seals the game. 8.42 Lacko 3-6 Djokovic* One suspects this game won't last long. Ace for 15-0. Unreturnable serve for 30-0. Lacko into the net for 40-0. Oh but that's a great return from Lacko, who piles into the forehand to drive Novak's serve straight back past the Serbian. It only delays the inevitable though and the No 2 seed takes the opening set after exactly half an hour at the second time of asking. 8.40 *Lacko 3-5 Djokovic Right I've come to this game late and Lacko is serving 30-40 down. This could throw a spanner in his comeback books. And Djokovic has indeed broken straight back. All Lacko's hard work wasted. 8.37 I've found a dodgy feed! And Lacko appears to have broken back which is a turn up for the books. I really am sorry about this. Ruddy nightmare. 8.33 Oh you have got to be joking. Eurosport have cut their feed. They've decided not to show the REIGNING AUSSIE CHAMPION and instead they are going to show a different match.... after an ad break. Right, bare with me while I search for a dodgy feed on the interweb. 8.32 *Lacko 2-4 Djokovic Right then Mr Lacko, fancy making a contest of this? It's not likely is it? The Slovakian takes the first couple of points though with Djokovic's forehand flying wide. Now Virginia Wade is talking about the heat. Can we get some damned commentary please Eurosport!!! Lacko holds to take the game to love. 8.28 Lacko 1-4 Djokovic* Interestingly although pictures have cut to live action, there is no commentary. Instead we have the soothing tones of Virginia Wade and Telegraph Sport's Greg Rusedki (can't say anything bad about him then) discussing the action from the studio. It's far from ideal. Meanwhile Novak wins the game 40-0 with utter ease. No sweat. 8.26 *Lacko 1-3 Djokovic We are live with Lacko serving 15-40 down. Thanks Eurosport, only 25 minutes late... Can Lacko stave off this early double break point? Nope. His forehand sails wide and there's the early break. 8.23 Novak holds serve to make it 2-1. Informative this live blog isn't it? Like a modern day Ceefax. 8.20 Erm... so this match has indeed started but Eurosport have decided to show an interview with Djoko instead. Really?? Really????? FYI the score is 1-1. 8.16 I can't actually see the players at the moment but I can assure you the match is yet to begin. 8.12 Don't worry. I'll try and get a photo of the man bag at the first available opportunity. In the meantime, Eurosport are showing interviews with the lovely Laura Robson and Heather Watson duo, who were both knocked out in the first round this morning. Read Simon Briggs' take on those matches here. 8.03 The players are just coming out to begin their warm up. While they do, let's remind ourselves of how Djoko won the men's title last year against a certain Andy Murray. Just ignore all the super super slow-motion replays and try and savour the tennis: 7.53 Who is Novak Djokovic? You don't need me to answer that question. I'll just tell you that he hasn't lost in Melbourne since 2010. Who is Lukas Lacko? Well he's 26 years old and ranked 90 in the world. He has twice been to the third round of a Grand Slam (Aussie 2012 and Wimbledon 2012). But he did reach a high of World No 44 last year. Could he be the Steve Darcis to Novak Djokovic's Rafael Nadal? 7.47 Hello again. Welcome to "Tennis in 2014" brought to you by Australia. 7.12 Good morning, Ben Bloom will be with you from around 7.45am as reigning champion Novak Djokovic begins his campaign to retain his Australian Open title against Slovakian Lukas Lacko.