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Novak Djokovic's hopes of an Australian Open title defence were looking more than bleak as he prepared for a hit with his lawyers rather than practice court opponents less than 48 hours before the start of the tournament.

The world's No.1 player, who will be detained by immigration officials in Melbourne on Saturday, is making one last stand to get a government decision to cancel his visa overturned for a second time.

Yet even if he was to win his battle - increasingly seen as a real long shot after Immigration Minister Alex Hawke cancelled the Serb's visa on Friday - his preparations will surely have been completely scuppered.

For the Australian Open announced on Friday that the top half of the men's draw would be playing on Monday's opening day, which would leave Djokovic no chance of proper preparation to face a first round match with Serbian compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic.

Spared detention on Friday, he is likely to be back at the same immigration detention hotel in Melbourne on Saturday night that he stayed in on his arrival in Australia 10 days earlier.

Then, even if he was able to successfully appeal the case on Sunday, what sort of shape, physically and mentally, would he be in to play the following day after his extraordinary travails of the previous week-and-a-half?

Back home in Serbia, there was fresh indignation at the news of the national hero's latest detention as Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic accused the Australian government of "harassing" and "maltreating" Djokovic, suggesting it was indulging in political points scoring ahead of the elections.

Djokovic's former coach and mentor, Niki Pilic, described the situation as "shameful" and said Djokovic was being treated like a "criminal."

Meanwhile, a health ministry official there said the document recording Djokovic's positive test for COVID-19 in December was valid.

Yet back in Australia, it seemed to be increasingly unlikely that Djokovic would get his chance to win a 10th Australian Open title and a record 21st grand slam in all as weariness over the entire saga just kept growing.

Even those who weren't necessarily against Djokovic seemed to think it might be time for him to step aside for the sake of the sport, as much as himself.

Seven-time grand slam champion Justine Henin said: "I think it's the best thing he doesn't play at the moment.

"When something is so complicated, I don't say that Djokovic doesn't have to fight, because he thought it was the right thing to do, but I think now it's been proved that so many Australian people don't want him to play.

"So maybe it's better for everyone - for tennis, for the tournament, and maybe for him - that he doesn't play."

Leading Australian coach Darren Cahill posted on social media: "Fault lies everywhere here. It's been a mess. Novak, TA, Vic Gov, Federal Gov."

With AP, Reuters

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Travis Head believes a first-innings total of at least 300 will be enough to put the fifth Ashes Test on Australia's terms, likening a challenging Hobart pitch to conditions in England.

Head scored a remarkable century on day one of the pink-ball Test, rescuing his side after they collapsed to 3-12.

Australia will resume at 6-241 on Saturday, with Alex Carey (10no) and Mitchell Starc (yet to score) at the crease.

"Traditionally in Australia, it's (aiming at) that 400-plus score," Head said.

"Anything over 300 (in Hobart) is going to be a great start.

"The conditions, pink ball - we probably look at it more like a bowler-friendly (pitch).

"When we played in the UK, in the 2019 Ashes, it was all about 300. Getting to 300 and past 300.

"We know if we get enough runs, we have a high-quality bowling attack. Batting tomorrow as long as we possibly can is going to be key."

Head, who counter-punched in style after magnificent opening spells from Ollie Robinson and Stuart Broad, reckons batting will become notably easier after the shine wears off the new ball.

"It's going to be a tough new-ball wicket, as we saw," he said.

"As that ball gets softer over time, it's about identifying the moments and tempo of the game - (knowing) when we might need to change and look at different plans.

"We've definitely got the bowling attack to take 20 wickets."

Head added it was too early to consider the importance of his knock of 101, relative to other career highlights.

"I'm disappointed I wasn't able to go on and get a big score," he said.

"In terms of where my innings sits, we'll wait and see.

"We've got to wait for England to bat, hopefully put them under pressure."

Play will resume at 2.30pm AEDT on Saturday after rain resulted in a delayed start and early finish to the opening day of the final Test.

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Tennis star Novak Djokovic will be detained by immigration officials in Melbourne on Saturday as he fights a federal government decision to cancel his visa for a second time.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke used his discretionary powers late on Friday afternoon to cancel the world No.1's visa, after considering evidence from Djokovic's lawyers, along with advice from federal agencies.

"I exercised my power under section 133C(3) of the Migration Act to cancel the visa held by Mr Novak Djokovic on health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was held in the public interest to do so," Mr Hawke said in a statement.

In an urgent directions hearing in the Federal Circuit Court on Friday night, Djokovic's lawyers sought an injunction against his deportation until a further hearing on Sunday.

As part of a court order made by Judge Anthony Kelly, Djokovic will be required to attend a meeting with immigration officials on Saturday, where he will be detained.

Djokovic's team are considering a number of grounds of challenge to the visa cancellation in a formal application to be filed on Saturday.

Despite the visa cancellation the tennis star was spared detention on Friday night. He will now likely be detained at the immigration hotel he was held at last week.

The unvaccinated Djokovic arrived in the country last Thursday for the Australian Open, when he was detained by border officials and his visa cancelled.

Australia's pandemic response has included an insistence a visa holder must be double-vaccinated or show acceptable proof they cannot be vaccinated to enter quarantine-free.

While that decision was later overturned by a federal court on fairness grounds, Djokovic was faced with uncertainty over his future in the grand slam with the possibility of a second visa cancellation from the immigration minister.

The Australian Open begins on Monday, with the world No.1 looking to secure his 10th title at the event.

Djokovic was named in the draw on Thursday, where he is slated to face Serbian compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Djokovic's visa cancellation was carried out because of public interest.

"Australians have made many sacrifices during this pandemic, and they rightly expect the result of those sacrifices to be protected," he said in a statement.

"That is what the (immigration) minister is doing in taking this action today.

"Our strong border protection policies have kept Australians safe, prior to COVID and now during the pandemic."

Officials looked into potential discrepancies on Djokovic's declaration form, which stated he did not travel out of the country in the two weeks before his flight to Australia.

Djokovic was filmed playing tennis in Serbia on Christmas Day and was later seen training in Spain on December 31, both in the two-week window.

However, Djokovic has denied he was trying to mislead the government on the form, stating an agent had made an "administrative mistake" while filling out the form.

In a statement posted to social media, the Serbian player also admitted to attending a media interview in Belgrade when he knew he had COVID-19.

© AAP 2022