MELBOURNE - Where's Roger?
That would have seemed a logical question from anyone strolling into Laver Arena last night. Wasn't the gentleman from Switzerland, Roger Federer, supposed to be here? After all, he had appeared in 10 consecutive major finals since 2005, and hadn't he made the world his tennis ball?
But the down under tournament got turned upside-down, this time by a kid from a Balkan splinter called Serbia and a nobody-until-now from France. Novak Djokovic, a 20-year-old with close-cropped dark hair and piercing groundstrokes, had evicted the champ, Federer, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), Friday, getting even for a US Open final-round beating last September, and now holds the Australian Open diadem, the youngest champ here since 19-year-old Mats Wilander won in 1983.
He beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga last night in the final, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), even though the full-house gathering of 15,000 was mostly in the corner of his unexpected opponent, the 22-year-old Tsonga, and many fans were screaming, "Come on, Ali!"
Ali? Why, yes, 6-foot-2-inch, 200-pounder Tsonga, a French citizen with a Congolese father and French mother, bears a striking facial resemblance to Muhammad Ali, and is a swift-moving heavy banger. As a young man, his father, Didier Tsonga, now a university professor of chemistry and physics in Le Mans, France, attended the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" at Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), when Ali knocked out favored George Foreman to regain the heavyweight title.
This seven-bout scuffle was the rumble by the river Yarra. Joyfully afflicted by fortnight fever, Tsonga, ranked 38th, built a following in a string of knockouts that took him through Nos. 9, 8, and 14 (Andy Murray, Richard Gasquet, and Mischa Youzhny). Then, for his piece de resistance, he mistreated and flattened No. 2 Rafa Nadal as no one before, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2.
"Unbelievable," said Nadal.
"Unbelievable," said Tsonga, a loose, relaxed character. "No, I don't believe it, but I'm here. I played."
"We never played before," said Djokovic of Tsonga. "I knew he was dangerous, and I was nervous." They began in daylight, and Tsonga won the first set based on quickness and a slugging forehand. But as night fell on the slightly experienced Frenchman, so did No. 3 Djokovic, registering the victory.
Tsonga lost most of 2005 to injuries, and a year ago he was roaming the bush leagues, playing challenger events to lift his ranking.
As the ringleader of the astounding Serbian surge, Djokovic claimed the country's first major singles title. But right behind him were finalist Ana Ivanovic, defeated by Maria Sharapova, 7-5, 6-3, and semifinalist Jelena Jankovic, another Sharapova victim, 6-3, 6-1. Nenad Zimonjic, a top 10 player in doubles, shared the mixed title with Tiantian Sun of China. And it was Janko Tipsarevic who first made Federer appear vulnerable in the third round, barely losing, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-1), 5-7, 6-1, 10-8.
Those nervy Serbs also ended the US presence - the Sisters Williams - at Melbourne Park in the quarterfinals, Jankovic stripping the championship from Serena, 6-3, 6-4, and Ivanovic removing Venus, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4. Not a good year for the Yanks. Andy Roddick's worst loss here, a third-rounder, was at the hands of No. 27 Philipp Kohlschreiber. But James Blake did emerge from a two-set hole to beat Sebastien Grosjean, and creditably, kept Federer busy in the quarters, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.
But the most impressive champion and fearsome femme was Sharapova, who seized her third major Saturday, guaranteeing herself a spot in the Hall of Fame when the time comes. She played and won 14 sets, and whomped No. 1 Justine Henin, 6-4, 6-0 - and Henin was giving her all.
Injuries intervened after Sharapova won the 2006 US Open, but she's healthy and harder-hitting than ever before. In that 2006 gig she overwhelmed two No. 1s in succession, Amelie Mauresmo and Henin, looking marvelous. However, this version, only 20, is superior. She's quicker, smartly picking the spots to visit the net, and mixing her arsenal. Her groundies were as resounding as her annoying vocals. She was pleased to get this text message from Billie Jean King: "Champions take chances. Pressure is a privilege."
"It was great to hear from her," said Sharapova. "She means so much to the game and me. She doesn't call. Just texts."
No, Federer wasn't in his virtually licensed place as a major finalist. He was a step slow, and his wondrous forehand wandered against Djokovic. But, having suffered food poisoning before the tournament, he wasn't as ready as usual.
"Maybe I've made a monster, people expecting me to win everything I enter," Federer said. Not a bad monster to have as a household pet.
Until last night he and Nadal had won the last 11 majors between them, eight for Federer. He's not yet 27. I suspect we'll see him win a few more majors. But the wolves like Djokovic are sniffing around.
