Pep Guardiola noticeably bristled when asked in his pre-match broadcast interview whether Manchester City would ever have a better opportunity to break their Anfield hoodoo.
Not since 2003 had City claimed all three points at this ground, but this time they arrived on a 13-game winning streak to face opponents who have not looked themselves of late.
Still, their manager did not wish to tempt fate ahead of his side running out at a stadium that has been far from a happy hunting ground for him.
Not only had City never won here under his stewardship, they had been regularly dismantled across meetings in the Premier League and Champions League.
And it was fear of a repeat that no doubt accounted for a cautious start from the visitors that did not reflect the form book.
When the first real chance of note arrived late in the first half, it came for City from the penalty spot, but Ilkay Gundogan could only blast the ball into the Kop from 12 yards.
Since the start of last season, the Blues have only scored nine out of their 17 penalties – a 53 per cent conversion rate – and this latest miss must have had Guardiola fearing it would be another forgettable visit to Merseyside.
But, as has been the case across a season that started in less-than-ideal fashion for the visitors, both team and player grew from that moment forth.
As such, it was no surprise to see Gundogan on hand to smash the ball home from close range with the first of three shots across the 90 minutes following the restart.
And, though a rare error from Ruben Dias – a figure who has had a transformative effect on City's defence this term – allowed Mohamed Salah to level things shortly after, the idea that it might inspire the hosts on to victory looked fanciful.
So it proved, with Gundogan restoring the lead after Phil Foden showed lovely feet in the aftermath of a poor Alisson Becker kick before Raheem Sterling capitalised on another questionable moment from the Brazilian goalkeeper.
The scoreline then got the gloss it deserved as Foden smashed in powerfully to underline his new-found status as a key man in a refreshed City side which now looks destined to be win the league.
Guardiola and his squad spent last season fending off the critics as Liverpool marched off into the distance to clinch the title in record time.
But, having added Dias and found new heroes in the likes of Gundogan and Foden, it looks like they who will cruise to silverware this time around.
Perhaps Jurgen Klopp can cling to that idea as he reflects on a poor performance that got the result it deserved and ended any hopes of his team taking part in a title challenge this term rather than a scrap for a top-four finish.
Having gone 1,369 days and 68 games without a Premier League defeat at Anfield, Liverpool have now lost three on the bounce at home for the first time since 1963.
Injuries no doubt account for that historic run in some way, evident as they were in the Reds once again naming two midfielders at centre-back.
Yet waiting until deadline day to sign the two defenders they desperately needed looked particularly ill-advised when Klopp revealed ahead of kick-off that neither was considered ready to feature in this game.
And the German will surely have been concerned by the fact that September signing Thiago Alcantara in no way showed himself to be capable of picking up the midfield slack as he put in an unimpressive showing.
In fairness, a lack of both fight and quality was not just a midfield issue for Liverpool, it has spread throughout the team during a run of results that has wrecked their season.
The only hope for the Reds this campaign is that the imminent return of Diogo Jota and the opportunity to restore Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to the centre of the park can help fend off potential challengers for a top-four spot.
Should that happen, Klopp will believe his side is capable of following City in immediately bouncing back into title contention next term with the help of a few tweaks.
If not, then Europa League football and a far trickier rebuild job surely awaits.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was not immediately looking to celebrate his latest achievement on Sunday after passing 500 club career goals in Milan's 4-0 defeat of Crotone.
The veteran Rossoneri striker increased his tally to 501 in club action with his sixth Serie A brace of the season at San Siro.
The first of Ibrahimovic's two strikes, assisted by Rafael Leao, arrived 15 minutes before the break to belatedly bring up the milestone.
The 39-year-old had been stuck on 499 for almost two weeks after a red card against Inter and a missed penalty at Bologna.
Ibrahimovic was asked by Sky Sport at half-time of his accomplishment but was not interested in discussing personal glory.
"It means I've scored a few goals in my career," he said. "But the important thing is to help the team. My job is to score."
Ibrahimovic added his second following the restart, and Ante Rebic then also netted a double, teed up twice by Hakan Calhanoglu in the space of 70 seconds.
Meanwhile, Milan kept their eighth league clean sheet of the season, a division high.
Coach Stefano Pioli was therefore keen to share the praise around at full-time, even as he hailed Ibrahimovic's efforts.
"He has great qualities and is a champion who is doing well," Pioli said. "He has great ambition and is competitive, which is why he always manages to stay at high levels.
"But let's not forget all the others who are all doing their best. There is still a lot to do and let's not get excited, because the difficult moments are yet to come."
Victory moved Milan back above rivals Inter at the summit, two points clear again despite losing two of their prior three home games.
Pioli added: "I believe that the growth of the team is in the right direction.
"We are a young but responsible group, always giving our best, every day, without being influenced by others and critics.
"Expectations rise and that is merited. We welcome it. Now we have to hold up."
Dom Bess revelled in dismissing the "phenomenal" Virat Kohli as part of a four-wicket haul as England retained control of their first Test with India.
Yorkshire spinner Bess claimed 4-55 from 23 overs on the third day of the entertaining test at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The 23-year-old snared home skipper Kohli for 11 and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane for one, before putting an end to Rishabh Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara's stand.
It was the wicket of Kohli, who flicked a bat-pad catch to Ollie Pope, that gave Bess the most satisfaction in his finest outing for England in a career spanning 13 Tests.
"It is certainly up there," he said. "The calibre of the player, who he is, is phenomenal. He is a world-class player so it was special, but more for what my process was.
"What I'm learning, what I'm doing that is getting me to that. You are always looking to get batsmen out but it's not about bowling that magic ball.
"It's about smashing in 10, 15 balls in a good area and then something will happen. That's what I was really pleased about. I thought I held my line and length really well.
"It's not about who you are getting out, it's the consistency of balls. I thought I bowled pretty well and I think I am bowling really well at the moment.
"It was important to make sure I had real confidence in my mentality and process. I'm 23, I'm only going to keep growing. My journey is going to be up and down."
Responding to England's 578 all out, India initially toiled before a sparkling knock from Pant – ending with 91 run from 88 balls – helped them to 257-6.
Pant stepped in with India 73-4 but, targeting the spin of Jack Leach, he hit nine fours and five sixes before Bess took over and dismissed both Pant and Pujara.
However, Bess believes Pant's high scoring was more down to the his attacking batting display, rather than Leach's bowling, as he backed the left-armer to quickly respond.
"I thought he bowled really well and that's not just me saying that. If you look at the way he bowled to Pant and [Washington] Sundar I reckon there are balls hitting the exact same box," he said.
"Pant is just a completely different player who played a phenomenal innings. Really courageous, really bold. How Leachy came back and kept smashing out a length shows the qualities he has.
"People will look at the fact he was going for 10 runs an over at one point but it doesn't matter. It's going to bring you massive opportunities if [Pant] gets it wrong.
"Leachy is so strong mentally. He has been through a hell of a lot, and that isn't going to faze him at all."
Wales took advantage of Peter O'Mahony's early dismissal and survived a fightback from 14-man Ireland to start their Six Nations campaign with a 21-16 win in Cardiff.
O'Mahony was sent off in the opening 15 minutes for contact to the head but Andy Farrell's men overcame their disadvantage in personnel to lead 13-6 at the interval.
But tries from George North and Louis Rees-Zammit turned the contest back in Wales' favour, with Ireland unable to produce another riposte.
The visitors were also dealt a late blow as Johnny Sexton went off with a head injury, giving Farrell plenty to worry about ahead of next week's clash with France.
Ireland were pinned for side entry at the ruck in the opening five minutes, giving Leigh Halfpenny the chance to boot Wales into a three-point lead.
O'Mahony was guilty of a much more serious infraction in the 14th minute, the flanker seeing red for leading with the elbow to the head of Tomas Francis as he attempted a clearout.
Wales, who earlier lost Dan Lydiate to a leg injury, doubled their advantage four minutes later through Halfpenny's trusty right peg.
However, Ireland enjoyed the majority of possession and territory thereafter in the first half and were rewarded for an extremely spirited fightback.
A pair of Sexton penalties drew Ireland level and a break from Robbie Henshaw then enabled Tadhg Beirne to dive over and give them a seven-point lead to defend.
Wales saw scrum-half Tomos Williams suffer a hamstring injury on the stroke of half-time but his absence did not prevent the hosts from getting back into the contest.
North capitalised after a series of Ireland handling errors to surge through a gap on the right and touch down, but Halfpenny misjudged the conversion attempt.
But that instance of profligacy from the tee did not prove costly as Rees-Zammit produced a stunning finish in the right-hand corner to put Wales back in front.
Halfpenny atoned for his earlier miss with a superb kick from the sideline to add the extras before knocking over a more routine kick as a penalty made it 21-13.
Billy Burns trimmed the deficit back to five points shortly after Sexton's exit but he failed to find touch with a penalty as he attempted to push Ireland to the five-metre line in stoppage time as Wales survived a dramatic final push from the visitors.
Bayern Munich's preparations for their Club World Cup campaign may not have been ideal but head coach Hansi Flick will not use a seven-hour travel delay as an excuse against Al Ahly.
Bayern boarded a plane for Doha immediately after Friday's 1-0 victory over Hertha Berlin but did not depart until the following morning after their clearance for take-off was denied.
The European champions eventually left for the Middle East on Saturday morning and were unable to train when arriving at their destination.
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge hit out at the local authorities in Berlin for "mucking about" ahead of Monday's semi-final against Al Ahly.
However, Flick's squad were able to train on the eve of the game and the Bayern boss is ready for the showdown with the reigning CAF Champions League holders.
"It's not the best preparation, without question," he said at a news conference on Sunday. "Ultimately, the decisive factor is we arrived safely and won't allow any excuses.
"Of course, it would have been better if we could have arrived sooner. But this morning we did what was planned for yesterday.
"This afternoon we will have the final training session and will prepare the team for tomorrow's game.
"We will go through the same process as every game. We have an analysis department that prepares information on each opponent for us.
"The coaches then do the final preparations. We know that they are very offensive with their full-backs and have an impressive coach, whose approach I like very much."
Bayern are seeking to win the Club World Cup for a second time, having last prevailed in 2013 when beating Raja Casablanca in the final.
They secured a domestic treble last season and lifted the DFL-Supercup and UEFA Super Cup earlier in this campaign, but Flick insists his players are still hungry to win more trophies.
"In football, you set goals and then you move on," he said. "We have won five titles and yet you can tell that the team and the coaching team want to take the next step.
"Success is a process, everyone is involved. We have a very good mentality in the team. They handled the journey very professionally and want to tackle the next goal.
"We really wanted to play the tournament and it is also our goal to win this tournament. We know that it is associated with a certain burden.
"But we want to be motivated and it is a big goal to crown the outstanding season with the sixth title. Our goal is to become the best team in the world.
"The journey yesterday is a thing of the past, we were ready in time. It wasn't nice, but we are looking ahead.
"The team should use all their strength today so that we can win the semi-final tomorrow move into the final."
Bayern made the trip to Doha without midfield pair Leon Goretzka and Javi Martinez, who both recently tested positive for coronavirus.
Opponents Al Ahly knocked out Al Duhail to advance to the semi-finals.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic went past the 500-goal mark as his double strike in a 4-0 win over lowly Crotone sent Milan back to the top of Serie A.
Ibrahimovic rammed home a fine finish to put Milan in front at the break, reaching a new landmark in his outstanding club career.
The 39-year-old netted a close-range second that sparked a flood of goals midway through the second half, as Ante Rebic scored twice in 70 seconds.
Inter had replaced their city rivals at the top after winning at Fiorentina on Friday, but Stefano Pioli's man reasserted their authority in a gripping title battle.
Liverpool have received a triple fitness boost for their clash with Manchester City as Sadio Mane, Alisson Becker and Fabinho return from injury to start.
Fabinho is back following a three-game absence necessitated by a muscle issue, while Mane returns after a similar problem forced him to miss the Reds' last two fixtures.
Alisson, meanwhile, is back in goal after illness kept him out of the midweek defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield.
That trio's availability accounts for three of the hosts' four changes, with 20-year-old midfielder Curtis Jones replacing the experienced James Milner the other.
Manchester City, meanwhile, make two changes to the starting XI that beat Burnley in midweek, with Pep Guardiola opting against naming a recognised striker as Gabriel Jesus drops out for Phil Foden.
At the back, Aymeric Laporte makes way, with Oleksandr Zinchenko his replacement.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was kept waiting but finally scored his 500th career club goal for Milan against Crotone on Sunday.
The 39-year-old reached 499 on Tuesday with the opening goal against rivals Inter in the Coppa Italia, but he was later sent off in a 2-1 defeat.
Ibrahimovic should have netted the milestone goal in the first half against Bologna last weekend, only to miss a 26th-minute penalty, although Ante Rebic scored the rebound.
But the former Sweden striker's moment came at San Siro when he played a one-two with Rafael Leao.
Ibrahimovic fed Leao on the edge of the box and the young Portuguese slotted a perfect return ball behind the Crotone defence for his veteran strike partner to drive into the far right corner, securing another milestone for one of the greatest goalscorers of the modern era.
MILAN'S MAIN MAN
Enjoying a fine second spell with Milan now at the age of 39, Ibrahimovic's goals have fired Stefano Pioli's side back into title contention.
The Rossoneri have not won the Scudetto since 2011 - in Ibrahimovic's first stint at the club - and are without any silverware since the 2016 Supercoppa Italiana.
With Saturday's strike, Ibrahimovic now has 15 goals in all competitions this term, including 13 in the league, swelling his Milan total to 82.
His 122 appearances are his most for any Italian club - having also represented Juventus and Inter - while this goal set Milan on course for a 71st victory with Ibrahimovic in the side.
GLOBAL SUPERSTAR
Ibrahimovic has been one of Italian football's biggest names in the 21st century, but he has proven his worth worldwide between his spells in Serie A.
Indeed, the greatest share of his 500 goals came in the colours of Paris Saint-Germain, 156 in just 180 matches.
Ibrahimovic's Inter tally of 66 is third on the list after his Milan haul, with LA Galaxy next after he netted a remarkable 52 goals in only 58 games.
As well as scoring 26 times for Juve, Ibrahimovic has plundered goals in the Netherlands (48 for Ajax), England (29 for Manchester United), Spain (22 for Barcelona) and his native Sweden (18 for Malmo).
South Africa still need 243 runs but have nine wickets in hand as they look to complete the highest chase by a visiting team in Pakistan after Mohammad Rizwan's unbeaten century set them a mammoth target.
Pakistan had begun day four of the second Test in Rawalpindi on 129-6 in their second innings, meaning a lead of 200.
However, Rizwan's 115 not out helped them build that to 369, leaving the Proteas with an arduous task that Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen attacked impressively in the final session.
Markram and Van der Dussen reached stumps unbeaten on 59 and 48 respectively as South Africa moved to 127-1 in reply by the close, their efforts keeping an excellent Test in the balance and keeping the tourists' hopes of squaring the two-match series at 1-1 intact.
Rizwan had resumed on 28 and ensured South Africa would not succeed in keeping the lead under 300, his maiden Test century potentially a match-winning one.
His fluent innings comprised of 15 fours and continued a theme of the series as Pakistan's tail provided stubborn resistance once again.
The wicketkeeper-batsman put on a stand of 53 with Yasir Shah (23) and then a ninth-wicket partnership of 97 with Nauman Ali, who made 45, before George Linde - bowling with strapping on a lacerated finger - claimed a five-for by dismissing Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan all out for 298.
South Africa lost opener Dean Elgar for 17 at the hands of Shaheen in the ninth over of their response but, with the surface holding up well, Markram and Van der Dussen provided hope with an unbeaten stand of 94, the former hitting nine fours and a pair of sixes.
Yet with the highest chase in Rawalpindi coming in 2000 when Sri Lanka prevailed by reaching 220-8, history is against South Africa getting this especially difficult job done.
"This season is about making sure history remembers us as we wish to be remembered. This season is about adding to our legacy. And I can't wait, Dodger fans."
While the Los Angeles Dodgers are yet to announce the deal, Trevor Bauer revealed his free-agency decision via his YouTube channel on Friday.
Hot off being crowned the National League (NL) Cy Young award winner with the Cincinnati Reds in 2020, Bauer is getting paid after the opting to join World Series champions the Dodgers instead of the New York Mets in a record-breaking deal.
Bauer - the first Cy Young winner to enter free agency since Greg Maddux in 1992 - is reportedly due to earn $40million in 2021 and $45m in 2022. The 2021 salary would make him the highest-paid player in MLB history, a record he would break again the following year.
The right-handed ace will help form an intimidating Dodgers bullpen, which also includes past Cy Young winners Clayton Kershaw and David Price, plus star pitcher Walker Buehler.
As Bauer looks to experience success in Los Angeles, where Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager spearheaded the Dodgers to World Series glory for the first time since 1988, we take a look at the numbers behind the 30-year-old using Stats Perform Data.
Bauer joins Cy Young club but is success on the horizon?
Bauer led the NL in ERA (1.73), WHIP (0.795), opponents' batting average (.159), opponents' BABIP (.215), adjusted ERA-plus (276), hits per nine innings (5.1), shutouts (two) and complete games (two) in the coronavirus-shortened 2020 campaign.
He also ranked second in strikeouts (100) and strikeouts per nine innings (12.3).
In nine seasons since he broke into the majors with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012, Bauer is 75-64 with 1,279 strikeouts and a 3.90 ERA. His only All-Star selection came in 2018.
Bauer is the eighth reigning Cy Young award winner to change teams that subsequent offseason after taking his talents to LA, and the fourth to do so in free agency, following Catfish Hunter (1975), Mark Davis (1990), Maddux (1993), David Cone (1995), Pedro Martinez (1998), Roger Clemens (1999) and R.A. Dickey (2013).
Did those players go on to enjoy further success?
Hunter made two All-Star teams with the New York Yankees in 1975 and 1976, Maddux won the NL Cy Young in that 1993 season with the Atlanta Braves as well as in 1994 and 1995 while he also earned All-Star selection between 1994-98 and in 2000, to go with Gold Glove honours in his first 10 years in Atlanta, where World Series victory followed.
Cone was an All-Star with the Yankees in 1997 and 1999, Martinez earned Cy Young Awards with the Boston Red Sox in 1999 and 2000, made All-Star teams in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002 (and in 2005 and 2006 with the Mets).
Clemens was a Cy Young winner with the Yankees in 2001 and the Houston Astros in 2004. He also made All-Star teams in 2001 and 2003-05 (the latter with the Astros), while Dickey's first year in Toronto saw him secure Gold Glove status.
Ace trio to lead back-to-back bid?
The star-studded Dodgers now boast three Cy Young winners in superstar Kershaw, veteran Price and Bauer.
The last team with three? The 2014 Detroit Tigers, who had a certain Price, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer in their rotation.
That 2014 Tigers side went 90-72 and won the American League (AL) Central, but were swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Division Series (ALDS) 3-0.
The Cy Young trio started those three playoff games, combining to go 0-2 with a 4.43 ERA. Detroit did not acquire Price that year until the trade deadline; from August 1 to the end of the regular season, the Tigers were 32-25 with a 3.94 team ERA (3.97 from starters).
The Dodgers are the first World Series champions to add a reigning Cy Young award winner that offseason, after the 1999 Yankees, who prised Clemens to New York and went on to win the ultimate prize that year.
But how does Bauer compare to three-time Cy winner Kershaw (32) and 2012 recipient Price (35)?
Bauer's career numbers do not really measure up to the other two, especially Kershaw, with the exception of his strikeout rate - the younger Bauer comes in at 9.7, level with Kershaw and ahead of Price (8.8).
But just looking at the last three seasons, Bauer has more than held his own.
Since 2018, Bauer has a .211 BA allowed percentage - fewer than Kershaw (.220) and Price (.241).
When it comes to strikeouts per nine innings, Bauer comes in at 11.2, ahead of Price (9.7) and Kershaw (9.2), while the Dodgers recruit (1.0) has fared much better than Price (1.3) and Kershaw (1.2) when it comes to home runs per nine innings.
Bauer also has postseason and World Series experience, having made 10 playoff appearances with the Cleveland Indians and one with the Reds.
In the NL Wild Card Series against the Braves last season, Bauer allowed just two hits and struck out 12 over 7.3 innings.
Alou Kuol's late brace secured a dramatic turnaround that lifted Central Coast Mariners back to the A-League summit with a 3-2 win over Western United in Gosford.
United took a 2-1 lead in the break thanks to goals from Tomislav Uskok and Besart Berisha, either side of Matt Simon's 16th-minute equaliser in an entertaining first half.
For a while that deficit remained intact and United appeared to be closing in on only a second win of the season.
But Kuol was introduced from the bench with an hour played and he made a fine impact, first equalising in the 77th minute as he turned in Daniel De Silva's corner, before then getting the winner soon after with a diving header.
There was no such delight for Melbourne City, however, rather despair as last season's grand finalists suffered a third successive A-League loss, this time to Newcastle Jets.
The only goal of the game arrived just before half-time, when Valentino Yuel converted from close range for his fourth goal in five games.
Dom Bess took four wickets as England survived Rishabh Pant's counter-attack to end day three of the first Test in Chennai 321 runs ahead of India in an entertaining contest.
England were bowled out for 578 and India, after initially toiling, closed 257-6 thanks to a sparkling knock from Pant at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium.
Bess snared home skipper Virat Kohli for 11 and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane for one, before putting an end to Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara's rearguard, leaving England in a strong position to take the lead in the four-Test series.
The tourists added a further 23 runs for their final two wickets in the opening hour of Sunday's session, with Bess (34) falling lbw to Jasprit Bumrah and James Anderson missing a sweep against Ravichandran Ashwin for a single run.
India's task of chasing down England's tally was made all the more difficult when reduced to 154-4 at tea, including the loss of Kohli for just 11 when caught at short-leg by the bowling of Bess.
Kohli's dismissal came after Rohit Sharma was sent packing by Jofra Archer for six and Shubman Gill (29) was undone by Anderson's diving catch after averaging a run-a-ball up to that point.
Bess rammed home England's advantage by taking Rahane, who went to a superb Joe Root catch after chipping a drive to short cover, but India - 73-4 at that point - finally steadied the ship through Pujara and Pant.
Pujara racked up 11 fours from 143 balls en route to 73, though it was Pant who helped make a more telling dent in England's tally with nine fours and five sixes as he targeted the spin of Jack Leach.
However, Bess returned and took both Pujara and Pant, the latter being caught at deep extra by Leach for 91 from 88 balls.
Ashwin and Washington Sundar frustrated England late in the day, ending the session on eight and 33 not out respectively.
Steve Kerr feels Stephen Curry is playing the best basketball of his career after his impressive 57-point outing in the Golden State Warriors' defeat to the Dallas Mavericks.
Curry joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only Warriors players to post multiple 55-point games in a campaign with a season-high 11 three-pointers in Saturday's thrilling clash.
It was not enough for the Warriors as Luka Doncic tied his career high of 42 points to inspire his side to a 134-132 victory, snapping a six-game home losing streak.
However, Kerr was blown away by Curry's shot-making ability, with the two-time MVP's 57 points - the second-best total of his career - coming on 19-of-31 shooting from the field.
"He's never played better," Kerr said. "We're talking about a two-time MVP, three-time champion. I've never seen him like this. He just looks so strong to me.
"He's obviously always been an incredible shooter, but he looks stronger to me just getting by people, fending them off on drives to the rim, finish, and of course the shot-making.
"It's almost unfathomable what he's doing out there."
Doncic, who is yet to outscore Curry in a head-to-head contest, was also amazed by the Warriors superstar's performance at the American Airlines Center.
"Every time he shot the ball, I thought it was going in," Doncic told ESPN. "It was something unbelievable. He's an amazing player.
"He changed the game and it's always fun to play against him, and today we got a win, but it's always fun to play against him."
Elsewhere in Saturday's NBA action, champions Los Angeles Lakers beat the Detroit Pistons 135-129 in double overtime.
LeBron James had 33 points, eight of those points coming in the second overtime as the Lakers survived a scare against a Pistons side with just five wins all term.
James, who also had 11 assists to make it 10 double-doubles for the season, joked he is getting too old to be taken the distance.
"I was just ready to go," he said. "I'm 36 years old... my heart is not sustainable for two overtimes at this point in my career!
"I've got a bottle of wine at home ready to be opened, and I delayed it for two overtime periods."
Rafael Nadal is "doing everything possible" to play a part in the Australian Open after suffering from back pain for the past two weeks.
The 34-year-old pulled out of Spain's line-up for the ATP Cup earlier this week and was last in competitive action in November's ATP Finals.
Nadal is due to face Laslo Djere in the first round on Tuesday as he seeks a second Australian Open title, but the Spaniard cannot guarantee he will be able to play the match.
"It's not great, obviously," he said. "It's true that for the last 15 days I have been suffering.
"In the beginning, the muscle was just a little bit tired, but I now feel a little bit more stiff than usual.
"The muscle is still tight, so it is difficult to play with freedom of movement."
But Nadal, who has a history of back injuries, is refusing to withdraw from the tournament.
"I have Monday and then playing Tuesday. I don't think about not playing," he said.
"We are doing everything. My physio is here, the doctors [are] here, everybody is helping me in all possible ways. I hope to be ready, that's all. I know sometimes things change quick."
Nadal is not alone in entering the first grand slam of the year below full strength, with the likes of Serena Williams, Sofia Kenin and Naomi Osaka also battling injury problems.
However, the world number two will not use his niggling back issue as an excuse should he suffer an early exit at Melbourne Park.
"I'm not a big fan of finding excuses," he said. "When things happen, you need to find a way to get through."
Nadal can surpass Roger Federer for all-time majors should he triumph at the Australian Open.
He is also looking to become only the second man after Rod Laver to win each major on more than one occasion in the Open era, but his only previous success at the tournament came 12 years ago.
"I think I had the big chance in 2014. I got injured during the match on the back. It was tough," he said.
"I had another good chance in 2012, another good chance in 2017 with a break up in the fifth. I just didn't win the match.
"That's all, I can't find another reason. It is true that I missed a couple of Australian Opens for injuries, too."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
