BENGALURU - For any other player but Novak Djokovic, a below-par Australian Open at the age of 36 would have had pundits brushing up his tennis obituary. Djokovic, of course, is no ordinary player.

Yes, the Serbian fell short of winning a 25th major at Melbourne Park last month but those same pundits have learned the hard way over the last 15 years that you write off Djokovic at your peril.