You can tell how it's going by the way he is pushing the whole "I don't need to provide evidence, YOU need to provide evidence" narrative. A reminder: he filed the suit. He is legally required to provide evidence, including to the people he is accusing of a crime or of defamation. If he cannot, then he doesn't have a case.
I think it's pretty clear that he wants to drag it out because he must finally have realized that he set himself up for a very public (and very embarrassing) failure. I don't think he can face the ridicule to come if the criminal suit goes nowhere.