Extraordinary. Novak Djokovic’s drop shot would have left just about every other player wandering across to field his next serve, so shallow and seemingly certain to hit the clay twice. But Alcaraz just moves differently, somehow closing the space in time not just to forge a winner but also a feint, ensuring that Djokovic is moving the wrong way as he lifts it up the line.

The Serb’s serve just looks impenetrable at the moment, though. He’s at 90% for the set and tonks his first ace of the match down the middle en route to squaring affairs.

Carlos Alcaraz conjures something to extricate himself from 15-30, supreme movement as he hurries to his right before contorting his racquet around it for a cross-court hook winner. He’s being forced to find something special with concerning regularity, but we remain without a break in the match.

As if to demoralise his younger opponent, Djokovic puts away his hold without fuss or fury. It feels like the pattern of play has swung dramatically from set one to two - Alcaraz needs to find something.

A first doube fault from Alcaraz, the mental frazzles perhaps starting to show. A wretched inside-out forehand continues a slide from 30-0 to a Djokovic break point...but Alcaraz atones instantly, consulting the textbook between points to execute the same shot to perfection.

Alcaraz gees himself up having restored order to get through another game.

A change of approach on return from Carlos Alcaraz, having spent the first set way back beyond the baseline and now much more proactive with his position. Djokovic adapts as well as you would expect and wrong-foots an advancing Alcaraz to seal a hold to love.

We’ve seen that Carlos Alcaraz has serious stamina throughout this brilliant summer, but this is another test of his ability to sustain and survive. And Djokovic just seems to have found his range. A couple of flat forehands kiss the clay pleasantly to draw a couple of deuces.

Alcaraz eventually holds, as you feel he must in the first phase of this second set.

The stands sway to a spot of Joe Dassin as Novak Djokovic nips away to do whatever he does between sets. Carlos Alcaraz shelters in the shade, mopping up the sweat on his forehead. Eight break points came and went for the Spaniard without joy in that set.

Vintage Novak Djokovic! Carlos Alcaraz made so much of the running but Djokovic has refused to yield, and a delectable forehand drop volley seals the opening set. 7-6 (7-3), in a little more than an hour-and-a-half. Gripping, gruelling, glorious.

How has that landed in? An extraordinary return winner from Novak Djokovic, somehow getting on top of a ball rising to chin height and catching the chalk inside the service box. Carlos Alcaraz can merely shrug.

Djokovic backs it up. Three set points...

All on serve at the change of ends, as you suspected it might be.