The On Deck Circle

Note: This article has been submitted by new OnDeckCircle writer Jack Forsayeth. I also wanted to point out that his highly self-indulgent website, novak-djokovic.com is quite the laugh.

Early Sunday morning Novak Djokovic proved to the tennis world that there are now three serious players on the ATP tour. The 20 year-old Serbian star beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the finals of the Australian open 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 and marked the first grand slam victory by a man not named Nadal or Federer in the last three years. Tennis fans all over the world should be excited to see some new talent on the court and should look forward to some great young rivalries brewing between Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic for several years to come.

Djokovic did not lose a set until the finals and along the way knocked off Aussie crowd favourite and former #1 Lleyton Hewitt in the fourth round, followed by #5 David Ferrer, and then Federer himself. Federer did not look great the entire tournament but still showed signs of his usual immortality. The most exciting fact of the outcome is that Federer may now have a non-clay counterpart because, before now, he seemed to be untouchable even to Nadal on grass and hardcourt.

Tsonga kept pulling off upset after upset although no one believed he had a chance until winning the first set against Djokovic (ironically, his name is agnost backwards). He beat seeds 9, 8, 14, and 2 along to his first runner-up finish, and catapulted his way to #22 in the world. I hope that the 22 year-old Muhammad Ali look-a-like could also make a splash this year on tour and that his brilliant performance and circus shots were not a fluke down under.Of course whenever a golf major or tennis grand slam tournament comes along the question of great dominance always comes up. Roger or Tiger? Tiger got the upper hand this weekend winning his 62nd tournament, compared to Roger’s 53, but it remains to be seen throughout the rest of the season and their illustrious careers who will prevail. Two of the greatest athletes to ever grace this earth will continue to fight and the question will likely never be solved. Federer has my vote…for now.Note: This article has been submitted by new OnDeckCircle writer Jack Forsayeth. I also wanted to point out that his highly self-indulgent website, novak-djokovic.com is quite the laugh.