It was day 12 of the Australian Open edition of 2008, and it saw Novak Djokovic pitted against the greatest tennis player of all time, Roger Federer. It was an ideal David and Goliath situation in the Aussie Open. The 20 year old Djokovic probably saw himself against a Roger Federer who was at his peak and absolute best.
Djokovic, then world number three, won the match in straight sets in just over 2 hours and showed the world what to expect from him in the coming years,and that the baton had been passed and the young guns were ready to take things forward from there. The other semi final saw another youngster Jo – Wilfried Tsonga oust another champion Rafael Nadal to set up an all amateur final of the Grand Slam.
The final match was one to be etched in history and remembered forever as Novak Djokovic became the first ever Serbian to win a Grand Slam singles title.
From there onwards, there was no looking back for the Djoker who went from strength to strength and went on to become the world number 1 and won 6 more grand slams since. His rivalries with Nadal, Federer and Murray have redefined the way tennis has been played and his rivalry with Nadal has been considered the greatest tennis rivalry of all time. Apart from the French Open, all other trophies have made a place on his trophy cabinet and still counting…
It’s 2015, Djokovic, now 27, is now a seasoned tennis champion, world number 1 and multiple trophy holder and on Sunday will be facing another great tennis player and good friend Andy Murray for his 5th Australian Open final and hoping to win his 5th title here. The final wouldn’t be a cake walk for either player and has all the makings of a Grand Grand Slam final.
7 years have passed, many things have changed but the only thing constant being the grit and determination with which Djokovic has played the game he loves. Being a Djokovic fan, I wish him the best and hope he is successful in clenching his 5th Aussie Open title and 8th Grand Slam Title.
