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Glenn Maxwell wowed tennis icon Novak Djokovic on his way to a game-high 90 from 52 balls, setting up the Stars' vital Melbourne Derby win over the Renegades.

Glenn Maxwell has produced another blistering innings to power the Stars to a crucial 42-run Melbourne Derby win over the Renegades that keeps their slim BBL finals hopes alive.

Maxwell lifted his side off the canvas with a masterful display of power hitting, belting a game-high 90 from 52 balls at Marvel Stadium on Sunday night.

The veteran allrounder scored all 81 runs in a vital eighth-wicket partnership with tailender Usama Mir, who made a five-ball duck, and steered the Stars to 165 after they had slumped to 7-75 when sent in to bat.

Novak Djokovic was among the fans who witnessed the opening stages of Maxwell's entertaining knock, relaxing in the corporate seats ahead of his Australian Open tilt.

But the tennis superstar made an early exit and missed most of the fireworks as Maxwell plundered 10 sixes and four fours to turn the match in the Stars' favour.

Maxwell protected the tail superbly throughout his innings but felt it was far from a perfect performance with the bat.

"I was probably hitting every second or third ball, and with the way the wicket was playing I was just trying to put them under enough pressure where I was getting an over-pitched delivery or one a little bit wider where I could sort of throw my hands or get some sort of leverage on," Maxwell said.

"It still felt like I played and missed a little bit and missed the middle of the bat, and had a few mistimed shanks into the leg side.

"But knowing how simple my game plan was - to stay on strike for as long as I could - I could just wait for one that I could actually hit in the middle and hopefully connect.

"It forced my hand a bit when we were seven down and I didn't want to expose the tail."

Mark Steketee (5-17) and Joel Paris (3-13) inflicted most of the damage with the ball as the Stars bowled out the Renegades for 123 in their chase.

Renegades captain Will Sutherland conceded Maxwell was "clearly the difference" between the sides. 

"Batters found it pretty hard to bat all night and no-one could really get going, except for him," Sutherland said. 

"Sometimes you've got to give credit to someone like him. He batted incredibly well and he's super hard to bowl to."

The result was the Stars' fourth straight win, improving their record to 4-5 and keeping them in the hunt for a top-four berth with one match left to play.

The Renegades (3-5) also remain an outside chance of sneaking in despite a fourth loss from their last five matches.

Tim Seifert (26 off 26) was the only batter to pass 20 for a Renegades side that managed just three sixes in 19.5 overs.

One of those was struck by Jake Fraser-McGurk (19 off 17), whose lean run with the bat continued when he was caught off Steketee.

Two of Steketee's wickets came in his first over, which also included four wides, and he finished with career-best figures.

He removed Harry Dixon and Adam Zampa with successive balls in the 17th over but was denied what would have been the season's first hat-trick .

Earlier, out-of-form Stars opener Sam Harper was trapped lbw by Tom Rogers (2-41) with the first ball of the match.

Renegades quick Fergus O'Neill (2-16) was also on a hat-trick when he dismissed Ben Duckett and Thomas Rogers but narrowly missed out when Marcus Stoinis's leading edge fell just short of Kane Richardson at mid-off.

Richardson (2-40) was the man to eventually dismiss Maxwell, who chopped onto his stumps in the final over, but the Renegades quick limped off a few deliveries later with hamstring tightness.

Dixon marked his Renegades debut with a superb piece of fielding to run out Paris.