Tennis hot property Novak Djokovic broke through for his first Grand Slam triumph with a dramatic four-set victory over unseeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the Australian Open yesterday.
The 20-year-old third seed became the first Serb to win a tennis Grand Slam, coming from behind to register a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (2) victory over the tournament bolter in three hours, six minutes.
His victory was the first Grand Slam final since the 2005 Australian Open not won by Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal with the top-ranked pair dominating the game, claiming the last 11 majors between them.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in the final of the men's singles at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on Sunday. Djokovic won 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (2). "I am so proud of myself and to be the first Serbian who won the Grand Slam title," said Djokovic, who eclipsed Jim Courier as the youngest men's winner at Melbourne Park.
"I expected Jo to play pretty aggressively, he was going for his shots, he had nothing to lose and he had an amazing success in these two weeks, he was very dangerous.
"I was trying to stay there with him because I knew that sooner or later with my style of the game I could get in control of the match, which I did in the middle of the second set.
"This match was really important for me. I was the favorite and I knew that virtually everybody expected me to win, so anything except a win would have been a bit of a loss."
Djokovic and Tsonga rocked the established order by dumping Federer and Nadal out in the semifinals to set up a decider unimaginable at the start of the tournament.
The Serb went on to claim his first major title in his 13th Grand Slam after losing to Federer in last year's US Open final.
The victory stretched his winning streak to 11 matches, beating his previous best unbeaten run.
Tsonga, bidding to become France's first Grand Slam winner in 25 years, started well and took the only set off Djokovic in the tournament but could not go the distance.
"I thank Novak for a good fight and for me it was a good moment. I'll be back," said the Muhammad Ali look-alike, who blasted Nadal out of the tournament in straight sets.
But he could not reproduce his blistering semifinal form on Sunday, although he still played well with his winners outnumbering his errors.
Djokovic appeared to tweak his left hamstring in stretching for a volley at 0-30 on Tsonga's service in the fourth game of the fourth set and sought treatment from the trainer at the next changeover.
But he held on to take the championship in the fourth-set tiebreaker.
"I knew the soreness was getting me in the hamstring so I had trainer give me a little massage," Djokovic said.
"I was trying just to maintain my consistency, to play at a high level and just be focused, not be nervous and that's why I was pretty successful in the tiebreak."
Djokovic remains at No 3 in rankings behind Federer and Nadal, but Tsonga is projected to climb to 18 from 38.
Both players exchanged service breaks in the opening two games but the young Serb came under pressure toward the end of the opening set.
Tsonga pulled off a terrific forehand winner from a Djokovic smash to bring up set point and then a desperate lob volley just floated inside the baseline to break the Serb and take the set in 49 minutes of tense tennis.
Djokovic picked up his game in the second, grabbing the crucial break in the seventh game when Tsonga's forehand was wide.
He served out to level the final with three set points in the 10th.
Djokovic then took command, breaking the Frenchman in the third and ninth games of the third set.
Djokovic dominated the crucial tiebreaker to take the championship on the first of his four match points.
Source: China Daily/Agencies
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