For those who began tracking his tennis career before he became a global superstar, one of the first memories that the name Novak Djokovic sparks is of a January evening 15 years ago.
January 27, 2008. A 20 year old Djokovic, seeded 3rd, wins his first Grand Slam title beating Jo Wilfried Tsonga in 4 sets in the Australian Open men's singles final. The final was supposed to be a Federer vs Nadal affair, but the two big 'favourites' were humbled in the semi-finals. Djokovic beat top seed Federer in straight sets and Tsonga thrashed the 2nd seeded Rafa 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. For many sports journalists it was in many ways reminiscent of the 2007 ICC ODI World Cup, when Bangladesh and Ireland pipped India and Pakistan to the Super Eight stage.
