Aus Open: Djokovic wins men's singles

Melbourne:

Twenty-year-old Serbian Novak Djokovic battled surprise package Jo Wilfried Tsonga to win the men's singles title at the 2008 Australian Open.

Djokovic won in 4 sets of 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6, in a match that was characterized by a great show of athleticism and sheer physical strength demonstrated by both players.

It was the first Grand Slam final since the 2005 Australian Open, which did not feature either Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal but the crowd at the Rod Laver arena were treated to no less of a masterpiece.

In a match that lasted over three hours, Djokovic, the 3rd seed was the one who held his nerves and won the crucial points, after losing the first set to Tsonga, the 1st set that the Serbian lost in the whole tournament.

The Frenchman, who beat four players in the top 15 to reach the final was the crowd favourite, but Djokovic, who had ousted World Number 1 Federer in the semi-final was the one who emerged as the champion.