Tennis star Novak Djokovic’s last-gasp battle to avoid deportation and play in next week’s Australian Open was referred to the country’s federal court on Friday. Djokovic had earned a late emergency hearing earlier in the day after Australia’s immigration minister cancelled his visa for a second time, reversing a Monday court decision that halted the federal government’s bid to deport the unvaccinated player. Judge Anthony Kelly, of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, who quashed his deportation order on Monday, said the case would go to the federal court for a second time, with Djokovic set to be interviewed on Saturday morning. Djokovic’s lawyer Nick Wood told Kelley he hoped an appeal would be heard on Sunday, so the world No 1 would have his visa returned in time to play in the first tennis grand slam of the 2022 season on Monday. The 34-year-old Serbian remained free on Friday night, but would effectively return to immigration detention when he meets Australian Border Force officials on Saturday at 8am. The Associated Press reported he would the morning under Border Force guard at his lawyers’ offices and return to the detention at the Park Hotel in Carlton, Melbourne on Saturday afternoon. Djokovic faces a potential three-year ban from Australia if he is deported, though that sanction could be waived. Federal Immigration Minister Alex Hawke on Friday had exercised his ministerial power to cancel Djokovic’s visa on public interest grounds, just three days before play begins at the Australian Open. Djokovic’s vaccine stance is disappointing and self-defeating However, in a dramatic tit-for-tat battle, DPA reported Djokovic would have an emergency court hearing on Friday night. The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia tweeted: “Novak Djokovic v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs.” It described it as a “directions hearing”. Djokovic is expected to ask for an expedited appeal process as he bids to retain his place in the Australian Open which begins on Monday. Should his appeal fail, Djokovic may be prevented from entering Australia for three years. Djokovic has made other players ‘look like fools’, Tsitsipas says “Today, 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 in the public interest to do so,” Hawke said in his statement. “The decision followed orders by the Federal Circuit and Family Court on 10 January 2022, quashing a prior cancellation decision on procedural fairness grounds. In making this decision, I carefully considered information provided to me by the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force and Mr Djokovic.” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison released a statement saying Friday’s decision to cancelled Djokovic’s visa was to protect the country’s strong border protection policies. Novak Djokovic v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: A directions hearing will be conducted tonight at 8.45pm (AEDT) before Judge Anthony Kelly. The hearing will be streamed on our YouTube channel - https://t.co/OArWL6GnGy pic.twitter.com/qMBDqGccIl — Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (@FCFCOA) January 14, 2022 “Australians have made many sacrifices during this pandemic, and they rightly expect the result of those sacrifices to be protected,” Morrison said. “This pandemic has been incredibly difficult for every Australian but we have stuck together and saved lives and livelihoods. Our strong border protection policies have kept Australians safe, prior to Covid and now during the pandemic.” Djokovic this week admitted that he attended a newspaper interview and photo shoot when he knew he was infected with Covid-19, while he also blamed “human error” for an incorrect travel declaration that he used to enter Australia. Unvaccinated Djokovic had entered Australia last week after receiving a medical exemption against being vaccinated from Australia Open organisers. However, upon arrival, border officials revoked his visa, saying he made an error on his application and he faced deportation. A court appeal on Monday went in Djokovic’s favour with Judge Anthony Kelly saying he did not know what more the player could do. Hawke, however, held special federal discretionary powers to cancel his visa and, after evidence surfaced that Djokovic had breached isolation rules, it looked unlikely that the 20-time grand slam winner would be able to stay in Australia. What a surprise! Morrison’s govt cancels #Djokovic ’s visa to win the weekend media cycle—showing us all how hairy chested he is. Why on earth did they issue the visa in the first place? One big political distraction from empty shelves & the national shortage of boosters & RATs. https://t.co/SoHuI1Cfwe — Kevin Rudd (@MrKRudd) January 14, 2022 Soon after Hawke’s announcement, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd took to social media to question why the government issued him a visa to begin with. “What a surprise! Morrison’s govt cancels Djokovic’s visa to win the weekend media cycle – showing us all how hairy chested he is,” Rudd said on Twitter. “Why on earth did they issue the visa in the first place? One big political distraction from empty shelves & the national shortage of boosters & RATs [rapid antigen test].” The emergency hearing is before Judge Kelly, the same judge who overturned his first visa cancellation. Additional reporting DPA, Associated Press