It's a good thing Novak Djokovic is good with a tennis racquet, with the world No. 1 not so capable with a cricket bat in hand if his performance during a charity event is anything to go by. <br /><br />Djokovic, 36, was in a jovial mood on the eve of the Australian Open on Thursday, playing a friendly match against Stefanos Tsitsipas before welcoming several of Australia's top athletes onto the court.<br /><br />Superstar cricketer Steve Smith was in attendance, they ruthlessly sent a Djokovic delivery into the stands during a light-hearted game of cricket after stunning the Serb by returning one of his rapid serves.<br /><br />Then up stepped Shane Warne's son, Jackson, to have a bowl at the reigning men's champion.<br /><br />A short run-up was followed by a fairly tame delivery slightly wide of the off stump, but Djokovic read the ball all wrong and missed it completely.<br /><br />To save his embarrassment, he swapped the bat for a racquet and sent the next ball into the crowd.<br /><br />Djokovic was later interviewed on court by Nick Kyrgios, who will not be competing at the tournament due to ongoing injuries.<br /><br />Instead, Kyrgios will pick up the microphone and provide his insight and analysis for Eurosport alongside Boris Becker and John McEnroe. <br /><br />Elsewhere, Djokovic learned on Thursday that he could be required to see off old foes to win a record-extending 11th Australian Open title in Melbourne.<br /><br />He could play a third-round match against Andy Murray and a quarter-final against last year's runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas to make it to the final again. <br /><br />Top-ranked Australian Alex de Minaur will need to make the semi-finals to have any hope of stopping Djokovic from becoming the most prolific grand slam singles winner in tennis after landing on the opposite side of the draw.<br /><br />Djokovic lost his first singles match in Australia since 2018 when he succumbed to a wrist injury and an inspired de Minaur at last week's United Cup.<br /><br />The 36-year-old has since looked strong and uninhibited in several practice sessions at Rod Laver Arena.<br /><br />But the top seed will still likely need to rise to several challenges if he's to eclipse Margaret Court's record of 24 singles majors.<br /><br />Five-time Open runner-up Murray could be a hurdle in the last 32, while fellow veteran and triple grand slam champion Stan Wawrinka - who has conquered Djokovic in French and US Open finals - is a potential fourth-round roadblock.<br /><br />On rankings, Djokovic's quarter-final opponent is seventh-seeded Tsitsipas, who enters the $86.5 million tournament under somewhat of a fitness cloud after a back injury hampered his United Cup campaign.<br /><br />Compounding the Greek ace's troubles is a first-round shootout with former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini, with the unseeded Italian on the comeback from a serious ankle injury.<br /><br />Djokovic could strike dangerous Italian fourth seed Jannik Sinner, who toppled the Serb twice in the space of a fortnight in November, in the semis.<br /><br />But if the tournament's top two seeds live up to their billing, Djokovic will rene
