It may have taken three matches but Novak Djokovic finally delivered a statement of intent at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Thursday by defeating Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals.
Djokovic, the top seed, was strangely subdued in his first-round win over qualifier Tomas Machac - needing a third-set tiebreak to prevail - and while he was much improved in the second round against world No 39 Tallon Griekspoor, it still contained uncharacteristic lapses and errors.
Yet, when faced with a significant step up in quality, Djokovic delivered. It wasn't that the world No 1 necessarily dominated the sixth-seeded Hurkacz, more that he just looked so comfortable in his 6-3, 7-5 victory; rarely troubled, always in control, one of those all-too familiar performances where he cruised along in third gear and only revved into fourth when the moment called for it.
Playing against a player of Hurkacz's calibre and with the big weapons the Pole possesses, chances are usually at a premium and so it transpired for the majority of this match on Centre Court, a break in each set proving the difference.