The European 100m champion answers your questions on training with Usain Bolt, being a pilot and his dream 4x100m relay team

Glimpse into the lives of world-class athletes as they answer questions from YOU each week on ‘Ask the Athlete’.

This week we are joined by Zharnel Hughes – European 100m champion and the joint-second fastest Brit of all time.

He chats to AW about training with Usain Bolt, being a pilot and flying a plane around the Caribbean, his dream 4x100m relay team and so much more!

Have a read of some of Hughes’ answers below and then enjoy the full 15-minute episode.

How did growing up in Anguilla shape you as an athlete? Was athletics part of your upbringing? 

“In Anguilla I started out at age 10. My family took part in athletics and I think it was a part of me, my older brothers and sisters run fast but because they got to high school, things started to fade away from them. For me, I’ve always been interested in track and field and I always wanted to see how much faster I could become. So it’s up to me now to continue and to pursue my dream!”

Outside of sprints, what events do you most enjoy watching and why? And who’s your favourite all-time track and field athlete? 

“I like to watch football. I’m a big Manchester United fan. [Marcus] Rashford is a big player of mine and I’m always looking forward to watch him play. He’s such an inspiration to the youths and to me because the way he sets up himself is that of somebody who wants to execute his skills and talent to the best of his ability.

“My most loved all-time track and field athlete is Usain Bolt obviously. I train with him, he’s like an older brother to me and I’ve always been looking up to him. Tyson Gay as well, I used to watch these guys regularly on YouTube, when you came home from school you just searched their races! I’ve always been interested in the way they run, their technique, the way they manage themselves under pressure and how they execute those super fast times.”

You’re a private pilot – if we weren’t in a pandemic and you could fly to anywhere in the world right now, where would you most like to visit and why? 

“Yes, I am! For me I like travelling within the Caribbean as I fly small planes and I don’t think I’d be able to make it to Europe! I’d definitely like to fly in the Bahamas because of the turquoise waters they have over there. I like the Cayman Islands a lot as well because I’ve been there a lot, it’s well kept and the people over there are beautiful.

“For me, another place in the Caribbean I’d be flying to will obviously be Anguilla as its nearby to Jamaica I could see family as well. As long as the plane makes it because it’s a small plane and you’d constantly have to stop for fuel! It wouldn’t get over the North Atlantic for sure.”

Who’s in your dream 4x100m men’s relay team for Great Britain and in what order? 

“Ah, that’s a good question! I’d definitely go with some old guys though (I hope they don’t mind me saying old guys)! I’d probably put Christian Malcolm on the bend, I would run the back straight, I’d probably go with Darren Campbell as well on the starting leg and I’d go with John Regis on anchor. That’d be an explosive team and I definitely think we could go and smash the world record. That’s the team I’d definitely go with, the way Christian runs the bend is crazy. John does as well but I’d definitely put Christian on the bend, Darren at the start and John on anchor. We’d definitely be a team to be reckoned with.”

What times will it take to make a podium and then gold in the 100m/200m in Tokyo? 

“The way track and field is going right now, I definitely think that in the 100m anywhere from 9.90 to probably about 9.85 to 9.82 could probably get you a gold in the 100m. As for the 200m, anywhere from 19.95 thereabouts to possibly 19.75 should get you the gold in the 200m. I definitely think this year I can produce those times, it’s within me as I’m much stronger physically and mentally and I just want to go and compete now. I’m staying on my grind on a daily basis and I’m making sure that the work I’m putting in will be something that I’m reaping rewards from when the Olympics comes around!”

Subscribe to Athletics Weekly on YouTube to ensure you never miss an episode.

LOS ANGELES -- Despite scoring 12 points in under five minutes during the fourth quarter to help spark a late comeback, LA Clippers guard Paul George found himself cheering his team from the sideline as he was held out of the final 2:50 of a close game against the Brooklyn Nets due to a minutes restriction.

With George on the sideline, the Nets were able to escape Staples Center with a 112-108 win on Sunday.

Afterward, George acknowledged it was frustrating to not be able to close out the game after logging more than 32 minutes and posting 34 points, seven assists and six rebounds in his second outing since returning from a seven-game absence due to a swollen toe.

"Man, I think you know the answer to that," George said when asked how tough it was to sit out the end.

George had said on Friday following a 116-112 win over the visiting Utah Jazz that he wasn't ready to play 30 minutes after logging 27 minutes in his first game back after not playing in 16 days.

But George said his toe was not a factor on Sunday as he helped the Clippers cut a 15-point deficit to six before he was taken out of the game with just under three minutes remaining. In addition to hitting two 3-pointers and burying six free throws in less than a five-minute span, George also was playmaking and found Ivica Zubac for two easy baskets during that fourth-quarter stretch.

"I was ready to go," George said. "I wanted to keep going."

George said his toe, which was diagnosed as having a bone edema, is not at risk of becoming inflamed by playing again.

"I'm clear, I'm good to go, as of now," George said. "It's an afterthought. I'm healthy, and I feel good."

Clippers coach Ty Lue explained that he started the fourth quarter with George on the floor because the game was slipping away.

"I thought the game kind of got out of hand and we had to bring him back to get the game close," Lue said. "And he played well and played good to get us back in it, and then it's a tough decision."

"But the biggest thing is that he's healthy, and the biggest thing is the player's health. We did what we could, but it is what it is."

Without George down the stretch, the Clippers' Kawhi Leonard scored six of his 29 points to tie the game at 108 with 28.6 seconds remaining. After Nets center DeAndre Jordan scored on a putback, Leonard drove on Nets guard James Harden and made a driving layup but was whistled for an offensive foul. At the start of the drive, Leonard appeared to try to shake Harden from grabbing his left arm. Then as Leonard gathered and went up for the layup, his left forearm made contact with Harden's torso, and the referees called the foul.

"My take from it is if we gonna pretty much play bully ball at the end of the game, let both sides play it," Leonard said. "But they didn't call it, so good defense. I got grabbed early, but like I said, no call, so great defense."

This wasn't the first time one of the Clippers' stars had an issue with the officiating during a close loss to the Nets. When the Nets beat the Clippers 124-120 in Brooklyn on Feb. 2, George went to the free throw line only once in 36 minutes. After the Nets' star trio of Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving went to the foul line a combined 16 times while the Clippers as a team saw 17 total free throw attempts, George said in his postgame interview that "it was disrespectful that I had one free throw attempt."

After this latest tightly contested loss to the Nets, George was asked how difficult it is to compete against players who sell contact on both ends of the floor to officials.

"It's really hard, it's really hard," George said. "I mean, I haven't really got into the flopping game, but in today's game, it's smart, you know what I mean?

"It's smart. They control the refs. They got the refs in their pocket, so kudos to the guys who are great at that part of the game."

Lue said there is no use in going back over the call now.

"I mean, they called it, so there's nothing you can do about it now," Lue said. "I'm not a big complain guy, but [someone] said [Harden] had his arm before Kawhi was able to push off and he said Harden grabbed his ... I don't know because I didn't look at it. To me, the game's over and nothing you can do about it, so it is what it is."

Australia won the toss and decided to bowl against New Zealand

Australia's captain Aaron Finch won the toss and sent New Zealand in to bat in the first T20 international of a five-match series at Hagley Oval on the 10th anniversary of the Christchurch earthquake.

The tourists called up Josh Philippe for his international debut after another strong BBL with the Sydney Sixers, having previously been a part of Australia's extended squad for white-ball series against India and England last year.

Jhye Richardson is also back for his first T20I in Australian colours since dislocating his shoulder in a one-day series against Pakistan in the UAE prior to the 2019 World Cup.

New Zealand left out Hamish Bennett and Mark Chapman from their XI, which will feature Tim Seifert and Martin Guptill opening the batting with Kane Williamson to come in at No. 3. This will also be Kyle Jamieson's first meeting with the Australians, after he fetched a hefty price at last week's IPL auction.

New Zealand 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tim Seifert (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Devon Conway, 5 Glenn Philipps, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Trent Boult

Australia 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 Matthew Wade (wk), 3 Josh Philippe, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Daniel Sams, 8 Ashton Agar, 9 Jhye Richardson, 10 Kane Richardson, 11 Adam Zampa

Queensland 6 for 238 (Khawaja 93, Ellis 3-39) defeated Tasmania 237 (Silk 77, Stanlake 4-24) by four wickets

A blistering Billy Stanlake spell and another Usman Khawaja masterclass guided Queensland to a four-wicket Marsh Cup win over Tasmania at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.

Stanlake took a career-best 4 for 24 ripping through Tasmania's top four with extreme pace and bounce while Khawaja controlled the chase superbly with a classy 93, following on from his fourth-innings century in the Sheffield Shield clash on Saturday.

Stanlake set the game up after Queensland won the toss. He claimed all four wickets with short balls as Tim Paine, Caleb Jewell, and Mac Wright struggled to control hook and pull shots while Jake Doran gloved one through the keeper. When Marnus Labuschagne ran out Tom Andrews with a direct hit, the Tigers had slumped to 7 for 143 with 17.5 overs left in the innings.

But Jordan Silk came to the rescue continuing the superb form he showed in the BBL. He made 77 from 88 balls to hold the innings together. He put on 53 with Nathan Ellis who contributed 21. Jackson Bird then clubbed 27 from 25 balls to lift the total up to 237. Matt Kuhnemann took 3 for 47 for the Bulls, including the key wicket of Silk.

Khawaja then took charge in the chase. He put on a 53-run opening stand with Sam Heazlett and an 87-run stand with Joe Burns to break the back of the chase. Nathan Ellis returned for the Tigers to cause a few heart murmurs in the Queensland camp. He knocked over Burns and Khawaja in consecutive overs. But Jimmy Peirson steered the visitors home with 14 balls to spare.

When he was coaching the New England Patriots, Bill Parcells uttered what has become a famous maxim in sports: "You are what your record says you are."

After the Boston Celtics dropped to 15-15 thanks to a horrific collapse in the Big Easy on Sunday afternoon, losing 120-115 to the New Orleans Pelicans after leading by as many as 24 points in the second half, it certainly applies to them.

"We've got a lot of things to clean up, obviously," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said.

Sunday's debacle was a microcosm of Boston's whole season. The Celtics got moments of brilliance from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who even on off days for them overall still combined to score 57 points. Meanwhile, they didn't get much from everyone else, as the rest of the team managed only 58 points while shooting 4-for-20 from 3-point range.

Eleven of those misses came from Kemba Walker, whose up-and-down (though mostly down) play since debuting in early January after completing a 12-week strengthening program for his troublesome left knee has been as constant as Boston's continued hovering around .500. After Walker had his best game of the season Friday night in a win over the Atlanta Hawks, scoring 28 points and going 10-for-16 from the field -- the fourth time this season Walker hit at least half his shots -- Stevens gently chided his point guard's critics, and Tatum said the All-Star guard's play is beginning to come around.

Walker followed that up by going 5-for-21 in a season-high 36 minutes Sunday, including a 1-for-12 mark from 3-point range. He's now shooting 37.1% for the season, and the Celtics are being outscored with him on the floor.

Overall, the Celtics look like a team that never replaced Gordon Hayward, who has played at an All-Star level after signing with the Charlotte Hornets in the offseason. Obviously the recent loss of Marcus Smart to a calf strain -- an injury that has kept Smart out of the lineup since Jan. 30, and one that ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported before Sunday's game will keep Smart out until after next month's All-Star break -- is part of Boston's troubles. But the Celtics also did nothing to replace Hayward's production on the wing in the offseason. Instead, they signed another point guard (Jeff Teague) and another center (Tristan Thompson) on a roster heavy on players at both positions.

Teague has been an abject disaster, shooting under 30% on 2-point shots this season and deservedly being banished from Stevens' rotation in favor of rookie Payton Pritchard. Thompson, meanwhile, has slowly worked his way back into form after a hamstring strain cost him all of training camp with his new team. But even his improved play has left Stevens juggling a rotation that he admitted before Sunday's game is imbalanced thanks to three of Boston's better players -- Thompson, Daniel Theis and Robert Williams -- all being centers.

"I've said this all year: One of the challenges of our team is that you get past our best perimeter players, and the next probably three best guys as far as production goes so far on our team are, at first blush, 5s," Stevens said.

As Stevens continues to search for wing production, the team's other rookie, Aaron Nesmith, has been the first player off the bench the past five games. And while he's been fine, he isn't anything close to an approximation of what Hayward was for Boston last year -- let alone what he's been for Charlotte this season.

That has left a heavy burden on Tatum and Brown to produce for the Celtics. And in games like Sunday afternoon, when Walker was struggling to hit from the perimeter, that allowed New Orleans to throw everything at the two of them without worrying about anyone else on the court -- a formula that allowed the Pelicans to claw their way back from a massive deficit and, eventually, win in overtime.

"Obviously we gave ourselves a chance in overtime," Tatum said. "But if we want to be a really good team, we've got to put teams away earlier, especially being up 20-something points.

"But we let them come back."

While Stevens hasn't ever quite said it the way Parcells once did, he hasn't been shy to point out that, as Boston has hovered around .500 for the past few weeks, there's little reason to believe the team's current form should allow it to be better than that. Yes, Boston hasn't had Smart, but virtually every team has dealt with significant absences due to either injury or the NBA's health and safety protocols regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The combination of those ongoing struggles, along with the team's president of basketball operations, Danny Ainge, declaring, "Our roster obviously is not good ... there's no ifs, ands or buts about it" in a radio interview this week, will place a bright spotlight on Boston between now and next month's trade deadline.

From the time Boston wakes up Monday morning, it will be 31 days until the March 25 deadline -- a stretch in which the Celtics, armed with all of their first-round draft picks going forward and a massive trade exception from Hayward's departure during the offseason, will be expected to make a move to supplement their current roster.

If they can make a move, they'll have an opportunity to make a run in an Eastern Conference that features several potential contenders -- Boston included -- that all have severe flaws. If they can't, it's hard to see how they will.

After all, we're 30 games into a 72-game season, and the Celtics are a .500 team. And, in this case, their record says exactly what they are.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Nev. -- The NHL didn't allow fans in Lake Tahoe to attend their two outdoor hockey games this weekend. But that didn't stop fans on Lake Tahoe from watching.

A fleet of kayaks and boats gathered on Saturday to watch the Colorado Avalanche play the Vegas Golden Knights at Edgewood Tahoe Resort, on whose lakeside golf course the rink was constructed. On Sunday, the number of seacraft tripled in size: There were a dozen boats, flying flags for the Philadelphia Flyers and the Boston Bruins, as well as 22 kayaks and two paddle boats that lingered near the shore. The fire department had a boat out there too, sending jets of water into the air during the national anthem.

"Interesting touch. I've never been here, so I didn't know what to expect. I thought maybe the lake might be frozen," said Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy of the aquatic spectators. "Good for them. They're in the spirit of it. That's what you want -- people getting into a new experience."

The game drew an eclectic collection of seafaring fans. There were several kayakers who wore gear and carried flags in honor of the Golden Knights, the game's closest geographic participant. Chris Stoner wore a Detroit Red Wings jersey with his name on it and flew both a team and an American flag from his jet ski, becoming a brief social media sensation. One fan in a kayak held a sign that read, "will polar plunge for jersey," pointing to the chilly lake temperature.

"When they said they're doing this and it was at the 18th hole, I knew we would be able to see something," said Stoner, sitting sidesaddle on his jet ski about 25 yards away from the action.

What a view. ? #NHLOutdoors

*enhance* pic.twitter.com/QmdZzYUO2g

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 20, 2021

A few small boats floated near the shoreline, while a large charter boat with a party deck -- the Safari Rose out of Lake Tahoe -- had a few dozen fans watching the action from afar.

"We saw the yacht out on the lake and saw some people cheering. They were Vegas fans, too. It'll be something that we never forget," said Golden Knights Forward Alex Tuch.

Shelly McCarty, operations manager for the Safari Rose, lamented having rented out the boat on Sunday before any Boston Bruins or Philadelphia Flyers fans could reserve it for the game. "I've gotten tons of calls today about it," she said. "I'm not a hockey fan, so I didn't even know about all of this until this woman called me to charter the boat for Saturday."

Watching action on the golf course from the water is a fan tradition on Lake Tahoe. The annual American Century Celebrity Golf Championship Tournament at Edgewood brings out the spectators in their watercrafts, and fans are allowed to land on the small patch of sand separating the lake from the greens. Stoner said the NHL wouldn't allow fans to watch from the sand because of COVID-19 protocols.

"It would have been really cool if they let us go on the beach for celebrity golf. They let us bring out jet skis on the beach and party up there," he said.

How was the view from the water?

"We can see from about the waist up. We can see all the players' numbers. It's actually not bad, you've got pretty good sight lines here," said Stoner.

The lake wasn't the only place where fans were trying to catch a glimpse of the action on Saturday. About a dozen fans were crowded by the fence near the security checkpoint, within eyeshot of the rink.

Chris Meyer and Rebecca Meyer are stationed at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, Calif. They drove three hours and snagged a room at the Edgewood to catch a glimpse of the Avalanche in the outdoor game.

"He came prepared," said Rebecca Meyer, pointing to Chris' binoculars. "It's a little hard, but we can just make the players out."

This vantage point was short-lived, however, as all the fence-watchers were chased away by resort security with about 10 minutes remaining in the first period.

The NHL was also policing the woods located near the golf course. While armed police officers were stationed at the walkways near the rink, the resort's events security team was stationed in the trees near the rink on the lookout for fans sneaking a peek.

Hockey with a view. ?#NHLOutdoors pic.twitter.com/uBTfv0ky6c

— #NHLOutdoors on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) February 22, 2021

Saturday's viewing party for fans on the water was truncated. The NHL suspended play between Vegas and Colorado after one period because of deteriorating ice conditions under the midday sun. After about an hour with the players in their dressing rooms, the boats began to dissipate.

When the game was restarted at 9 p.m. local time, there were two boats still out in the darkness taking in the game.

On Sunday, boats starting arriving around 3:30 p.m. for the game that was scheduled to begin an hour later. Some had with decks crowded with fans. When the Bruins' David Pastrnak scored the game's first goal, one of the boats sounded its air horn in celebration.

"To see boats out there [with fans] is awesome. You've got a little bit of everything," said Cassidy. "Guys in their kayaks reminds of San Francisco, where they try to catch the home run balls. I don't know if any pucks made it out there or not."

One of the Bruins fans on the water was Lucas Markham, who grew up in New Hampshire but has lived in Lake Tahoe for 23 years. He knew he'd take his canoe out to watch Sunday's game as soon as Boston was announced as a participant.

"I live in Tahoe. How many hockey games are we going to get to see?" he said. "There are a lot of East Coasters that moved to Tahoe. We stick to our roots."

Markham, who was wearing a Bruins onesie, said he would have a better vantage point than many of the fans on the lake because he was coming prepared -- with ladders for himself and his friend.

"They won't let you on the shore, but they have no jurisdiction over the water. So the ladders will be in the water," he said, laughing. "We call that 'wicked smaht.'"

Markham said he'd make his presence known at the game, and he followed through on that vow. After the first period ended on Sunday, Markham stood atop his ladder as "The Stripper" by David Rose played from a speaker near his boat. He shed his Bruins onesie to the delight -- or horror -- of the fans floating around him, before leaping into the shallow, icy water as the sun set on Lake Tahoe.

Seattle Mariners president and CEO Kevin Mather apologized Sunday night after his wide-ranging comments to a rotary club earlier this month surfaced, including him calling the English-speaking capabilities of two members of the organization "terrible" and "not tremendous."

Mather's comments were made to a Bellevue, Washington, rotary club on Feb. 5 and were posted online over the weekend.

"I want to apologize to every member of the Seattle Mariners organization, especially our players and to our fans," Mather said in a statement. "There is no excuse for my behavior, and I take full responsibility for my terrible lapse in judgment."

He added: "I've been on the phone most of the day today apologizing to the many people I have insulted, hurt, or disappointed in speaking at a recent online event. I am committed to make amends for the things I said that were personally hurtful and I will do whatever it takes to repair the damage I have caused to the Seattle Mariners organization."

In his remarks to the rotary club, Mather spoke about former Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, who was hired in January as a special assignment coach with the club, and his need for a translator and his English skills.

"For instance, we just rehired (Hisashi) Iwakuma (as a special-assignment coach), he was a pitcher with us for a number of years. Wonderful human being, his English was terrible," Mather said. "He wanted to get back into the game, he came to us, we quite frankly want him as our Asian scout/interpreter, what's going on with the Japanese league. He's coming to spring training.

"And I'm going to say, I'm tired of paying his interpreter. When he was a player, we'd pay Iwakuma 'X,' but we'd also have to pay $75,000 a year to have an interpreter with him. His English suddenly got better. His English got better when we told him that."

Speaking about minor league outfielder Julio Rodriguez, who is ranked by ESPN's Kiley McDaniel as the No. 9 overall prospect in MLB, Mather said: "Julio Rodriguez has got a personality bigger than all of you combined. He is loud. His English is not tremendous."

Mather addressed the team's payroll and watching the financial bottom line. He said he believed top prospects Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert likely will not start the season with the team as a way to manipulate their major league service time and keep them under club control longer.

Mather said the club attempted to sign Kelenic to a long-term contract and was rebuffed in its efforts.

Mather also said longtime third baseman Kyle Seager would be a future Mariners Hall of Famer but also was "overpaid." Seager is in the final year of his contract with the Mariners and will be Seattle's highest-paid player at $18 million. His contract includes a club option for 2022.

Mather has been with the team since 1996. He was promoted to his current role in November 2017.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Britain's Joe Salisbury and American partner Rajeev Ram missed out on defending their men's doubles title as they lost to Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek in the Australian Open final.

Salisbury and Ram were bidding to become the first men's doubles partnership since 2011 to successfully defend their title at Melbourne Park.

"That was too good for what we had today," Salisbury said.

"I don't think either of us were serving our best."

Both sets were tight affairs, with a break of serve in either set separating the pair.

Salisbury has yet to make his Davis Cup debut for Great Britain, with Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski often partnering for the Brits.

"I would love to play it. Hopefully it goes ahead as normal. I don't know what would happen with the partnerships," he said.

"I played with Jamie before, I played with Neal before. I'd be happy to play with either of them and love to be part of the team."

Polasek is only the second Slovak to win a Grand Slam title in doubles or singles, after four-time mixed doubles champion Daniela Hantuchova.

He missed the birth of his second child on Friday to compete in Melbourne.

"This is our first Grand Slam as a team and we're having a lot of fun. I hope it continues," Dodig said.

Novak Djokovic continued his dominance of the Australian Open by overwhelming an irritated Daniil Medvedev to win a record-extending ninth men's title.

The 33-year-old Serb has never lost a final at Melbourne Park and beating Medvedev is a third triumph in a row.

Russian fourth seed Medvedev, 25, has lost both of his Grand Slam finals.

After collecting the trophy, Djokovic told the Rod Laver Arena: "I love you each year more and more. The love affair keeps going."

Medvedev, who lost to Nadal in the 2019 US Open final, was tipped to push Djokovic close and win his maiden major.

The Russian had reached the Melbourne final on the back of a 20-match winning streak, but floundered under the intense pressure applied by Djokovic.

Throwing racquets, poor body language and shouting angrily at his team were an illustration of how the Russian imploded in the third set, contrasting starkly with Djokovic's confident and steely exterior.

Djokovic clinched the title after one hour and 53 minutes with a backhand overhead volley, falling to the blue court on his back before lapping up the acclaim of the reduced 7,500 crowd.

Djokovic roared loudly and tapped his heart, before exchanging hugs with coach Goran Ivanisevic and the rest of his support team.

After thinking an abdominal injury earlier in the tournament might scupper his chances, the pride and relief of Team Djokovic was clear in their celebrations.

Brilliant Djokovic refuses to 'hand over' to younger generation

In-form Medvedev had, perhaps playfully, insisted "all the pressure" was on Djokovic because of his desire to chase Nadal and Federer in the battle to finish with the most men's Grand Slams titles.

Maybe it was a ploy to deflect the attention off himself. Either way it did not work as Djokovic emphatically proved he is still the man to beat.

World number one Djokovic responded to Medvedev's comments with a withering tone in his assessment that the younger generation "still have a lot of work to do."

"I'm not going to stand here and hand it over to them," he told Eurosport after his semi-final win against Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev.

He was true to his word. Djokovic produced a masterclass of intensity, focus and execution, looking comfortable on a court he has described as a "home from home".

Djokovic, like he had in his previous three Melbourne finals, started quickly with an immediate break of serve as he looked to stamp his authority.

Medvedev remain unflustered - until later in the match, at least - and continued in his attempt to drag Djokovic into some gruelling baseline exchanges.

Djokovic tried to avoid long points by employing the odd drop-shot but that helped the Russian to level at 3-3.

A fascinating opening set could have swung either way, but it was the reigning champion who edged it when he unpicked Medvedev's serve again in the 12th game.

History was ominous for the Russian: Djokovic had only lost five of 264 Grand Slam matches when he had won the first set.

Medvedev implodes as wait for Grand Slam continues

Medvedev went into the final on the back of a 20-match winning streak and had won his past 12 matches against top-10 opponents.

However, extending those runs looked unlikely once he began to implode in the second set.

After the pair exchanged breaks in the opening two games, Djokovic pounced again when a raft of unforced errors crept into Medvedev's game.

Medvedev started to look a little irritated, perhaps partly because of some disruptive fans in the previous game but mainly because he could not negate Djokovic, bouncing his racquet down on the court before the Serb moved 4-1 ahead.

The racquet survived that, but not the second thud Medvedev gave it when he whacked a forehand long for 5-2.

Djokovic sealed the two-set advantage with a crunching forehand which Medvedev could not handle.

Medvedev had never won after losing the opening two sets, but did fight back against Nadal at the 2019 US Open to force a decider.

Negativity looked to be deep-rooted, however, and the prospect of a similar fightback looked far-fetched.

There was a brief glimmer of hope at 30-30 in the seventh game of the third set, but Djokovic held for 5-2 - prodding his temple with his finger to emphasise his mental toughness - and served out to seal a one-sided win which few expected.

"We know how tough Novak is and he played a sensational final," said former British number one Annabel Croft on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"You have to be so dialled in, in all departments. Medvedev went away from the tactics he showed in the first set and went into a slump and a strop."

Analysis - 'Astonishing performance by Djokovic'

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller

This was another astonishing Australian Open final performance by Novak Djokovic, at the end of one of the most stressful Grand Slam fortnights of his career.

The abdominal injury he suffered during his third-round victory over Taylor Fritz improved faster than he thought it might. But it still compromised him for the next couple of rounds, and prevented practice on his days off.

He outlasted Milos Raonic and Alex Zverev in tense four setters, and was able to save his best until the last.

Daniil Medvedev spent much of the second half of the match in a one way conversation with his coach and wife. He was driven to distraction by Djokovic's brilliance, but he showed surprising fragility for someone with previous experience of a Grand Slam final, and so many recent wins over top 10 players.

The world number one is firmly back on track. Two Slams behind Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, with a six-year age advantage on the Swiss and 12 months on the Spaniard.

Where's your money?

Novak Djokovic says his journey to a ninth Australian Open title and 18th overall Grand Slam trophy was an "emotional rollercoaster".

Djokovic won the title despite tearing an abdominal muscle during the third round, which impacted his training.

"Emotionally it was one of the hardest tournaments that I've ever had, to be honest," the Serb, 34, said.

"It was very challenging to keep my mind serene and focus on what matters the most.

"I've put a lot of energy and time to be sitting here with the trophy."

Djokovic's victory leaves him two Grand Slams behind Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the three-way battle to finish with the most men's titles.

"Most of my attention and my energy from this day forward, until I retire from tennis, is going to be directed in majors, trying to win more major trophies," said Djokovic.

"Roger and Rafa inspire me. That's something that I've said before. I think as long as they go, I'll go."

Next month Djokovic is guaranteed to reach one of his major career goals by surpassing Federer's record of 310 weeks at world number one.

Djokovic sets tone for year

Djokovic's victory comes with the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic and players forced into a 14-day quarantine on arrival.

He was heavily criticised in the Australian press for a letter he wrote to tournament director Craig Tiley about the quarantine protocols.

He returned to Australia as defending champion after a challenging 2020 on and off the court.

He was widely criticised for organising the Adria Tour - a Balkans-based tournament featuring several ATP players - in the middle of the pandemic.

When the tour resumed, he was defaulted from the US Open after accidentally hitting a line judge with a ball he had swatted away in anger, before being thrashed in the French Open final by Rafael Nadal.

"Last season was what it was: six months with no tennis in the middle of the season," Djokovic said.

"I have managed to start the season very well throughout my career and it sets the tone for the rest of the season for me.

"I have added motivation to perform well here. It gives me extra wind in my sails."

Djokovic 'aware' of injury speculation

Djokovic suffered an abdominal injury against Taylor Fritz, leaving him barely able to serve and move against the American.

He said after the match he believed he had torn a muscle but refused to elaborate further, instead opting not to train before any matches.

His recovery against Fritz - and his subsequent improved movement in the next rounds - led some to question how serious the injury was.

"It is a tear of the oblique muscle and I felt it straight away," he explained after beating Medvedev.

"I know there has been a lot of speculation, people questioning whether I'm injured, how can I recover so quickly. I get it.

"I just felt like it was a bit unfair at times. But it's not the first or the last time."

Djokovic's presentation with the trophy came after Tennis Australia executive Jayne Hrdlicka was booed for mentioning the Covid-19 vaccine and the Victorian government.

The unusual scenes came at the end of a tournament that was delayed three weeks because of coronavirus and had to bar fans for five days when state authorities ordered a snap lockdown.

Medvedev envious of 'cyborgs of tennis'

Going into the final, in-form Medvedev had playfully insisted "all the pressure" was on Djokovic because of his desire to catch Nadal and Federer.

He had won three of his past four meetings against Djokovic and competed well in a tight first set, before crumbling against a player he described as "the King of Melbourne".

Medvedev lost his first Grand Slam final to Nadal at the US Open in 2019, and his defeat here means Dominic Thiem is still the only male player born after 1988 to win a Grand Slam.

"To win nine Australian Opens, I need to win every year until I'm 34," Medvedev said.

"I believe in myself, but I don't think I'm able to do it.

"Same with Rafa, 13 Roland Garros. We're talking about some Cyborgs of tennis. They're just unbelievable."