Novak Djokovic withstood the expected barrage from upstart Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the first set, then rallied to win the Australian Open for his first Grand Slam title.
Djokovic played steady, solid tennis, and Tsonga showed great poise in his first grand slam final.
Djokovic had to battle Tsonga and most of the crowd since most in attendance were rooting for the upstart from France. Tsonga showed he was not afraid to use his powerful forhand, but he seemed to know his backhand was not as accurate as it had been against Nadal. Tsonga also missed several volleys that were much easier than the ones he made in the semifinals against Nadal.
Djokovic had not lost a set in six matches leading into the final, including his semifinal win over two-time defending champion Federer.
But with unseeded Tsonga coming out swinging like he did in his straight-sets upset over No. 2 Nadal in the semifinals and three other top 14 players, that streak came to a sudden end.
The third-ranked Djokovic rebounded in the second and third sets, and after saving a crucial breakpoint in the fourth, dominated the tiebreaker to clinch his first major at his 13th attempt.

At only 20 years old, Djokovic will have many years to try to add more grand slam trophies to his collection.  Federer and Nadal definitely are no longer all alone at the top of the game.

It is now a group of 3, with Djokovic ready to claim the top spot if Roger and Rafael don't raise their games!

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