But as the bullet fired in 1914 by Bosnian Serb student Gavrilo Princip to kill Archduke Ferdinand of Austria - triggering World War One - became known as the "shot heard around the world", so Australia's treatment of the Serbian Djokovic is shaping as a latter-day echo, at least as far as our reputation for common sense, or a lack of it, is concerned.

Djokovic won the Australian Open in Melbourne last year for the eighth time.

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His reputation as a vaccine sceptic has fuelled acres of media coverage, as pundits and pub conversationalists alike wondered what would happen when the unstoppable force of male tennis hit the immovable object of the Morrison government.

Initially, it seemed that some form of agreement had been reached, with Tennis Australia declaring on Wednesday the defending champion had been granted an exemption to arrive in Australia unvaccinated. The details of the exemption were not disclosed for privacy reasons.

Yet soon after arriving by private jet late on Wednesday night, Djokovic was detained at the airport, a controversial decision that unsurprisingly invoking a diplomatic row, with the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vui, criticising the tennis great's "harassment".

Yesterday afternoon - with "privacy" still keeping the public understanding at arm's length - Prime Minister Scott Morrison was adamant Djokovic would be deported.

Around the world, observers were quick to remember the 2015 fiasco that saw Barnaby Joyce as acting prime minister threatening to put down two dogs smuggled into the country by celebrity Johnny Depp and his then-wife Amber Heard.

Whatever the details of the Djokovic saga, it was another example of Australia sleepwalking into an avoidable problem which some critics have argued was petty and diversionary politics.

Djokovic did not come here to live. He arrived to compete - presumably in some form of tournament "bubble" - and to leave.

Tennis might not be a matter of life and death, but entertainment is in short supply right now, and stopping Djokovic from playing smacks of petty - and diversionary - politics.

Still, as long-time rival Rafael Nadal pointed out, Djokovic wouldn't be in such a plight if he was vaccinated. "He knew the conditions months ago ... he's free to take his own position, but then there are consequences," Nadal said.

Djokovic's lawyers have appealed his deportation in the Federal Court, with Judge Anthony Kelly last night granting him an interim injunction that prevents authorities from moving against him until at least 4pm on Monday.

Kelly will resume hearing Djokovic's case at 10am on Monday, a week before the Australian Open starts on January 17.

Meanwhile, Australia recorded 72,000 new cases yesterday, with 13 deaths across NSW, Victoria and Queensland.

ISSUE: 39,765

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