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MELBOURNE - IT WAS early, very early, in the first set of yesterday's Australian Open final when a voice yelled out: 'Let's go, Roger!'
The confusion was understandable.
It has been nearly three years since a Grand Slam final took place without Roger Federer, and his era may not yet be over.
But it is certainly more crowded at the top, after Novak Djokovic upset Federer in the semi-finals and then avoided his own upset in the final.
He put an end to the deeply entertaining run of the unseeded Frenchman, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who had already beaten four players ranked in the top 15 at the tournament.
But world No 3 Djokovic was a slight cut above, particularly with his returns and ability to counter Tsonga's high-risk groundstrokes and bold forays to the net.
In the end, the more technically sound, mentally solid player was able to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), ending a sequence of 11 straight Grand Slams won by either Federer or Rafael Nadal since Marat Safin's Australian Open triumph in 2005.
He did for Serbia what Ana Ivanovic could not achieve in the women's final by giving his small, formerly troubled country a Grand Slam singles champion.
'We're a small country, this is something incredible for us,' said Djokovic, at 20 the youngest player since Stefan Edberg defeated Mats Wilander in 1985 to win the Australian title.
'Doing so well, this is something unexplainable. I think it's going to be a crazy house back in my country.'
Still, his fans at the Rod Laver Arena were in the distinct minority. Tsonga's straight-sets ambush of world No 2 Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals have turned heads and hearts not only in France.
The Australians clearly liked what they saw as well. And the 22-year-old Tsonga, with his ebullient personality and go-for-broke style, got much more positive reinforcement than Djokovic.
The Serb, a sensitive soul, did not react well.
Already miffed that Federer had been the fan favourite in the semi-finals, he mocked the crowd's reactions at times and gestured angrily in the direction of a spectator who had interrupted his service motion.
But once he was standing with his first major trophy in hand, he struck the proper tone.
'I know the crowd wanted him to win more,' he said. 'That's okay. I still love you guys. Don't worry.'
He had watched movies, listened to music and refused to think about tennis, hoping to settle his pre-match nerves. Then he arrived at Rod Laver Arena.
'It all changed in two seconds,' he admitted. 'I was a bit nervous from the start. It's always dangerous to play against an underdog who has nothing to lose.'
Tsonga came out swinging, needing 49 minutes to clinch the opener and fuel his country's hopes he could become the first Frenchman to win the Australian Open in 80 years.
Djokovic had to overcome cramps, as well as Tsonga. But the Serb kept gunning away and his reward came in the second set's seventh game.
He earned a break point when he belted a backhand return past the Frenchman, and dictated the next point before Tsonga sent a forehand wide. The Serb pummelled his chest with his fist, and Tsonga's head dropped.
He won the second set with an ace and secured a break early in the third as his experience began to tell.
A second break with Tsonga serving at 3-5 down clinched the third for Djokovic, but not before the brave Frenchman had fought off six set points.
It was theatrical stuff and kept the celebrity-studded crowd enthralled. Rock star Sting cheered from his seat, while pianist and composer Burt Bacharach simply shook his head.
Djokovic kept his mind on the job. Serving at 5-5, he faced a break point at 30-40. He saved it with an audacious drop shot. An angled volley later, he held serve.
Tsonga was upset by how long the Serb was taking between points and the crowd agreed, heckling Djokovic.
'When your opponent takes a lot of time, you are like this back and forth,' he said. 'The umpire has to say something.'
The Frenchman struggled on, firing one forehand about four metres long and hitting his first double-fault of the match. But he still held to force a tiebreak.
There, he also dropped serve on the sixth point with his second double-fault. Djokovic served it out 7-2 and fell on his back, then got up to put his arm around Tsonga.
He got on his knees and kissed the court, shook hands with his family, then tossed two rackets into the stands before burying his face in a towel.
Tsonga, who will move up from No 38 in the world to No 18, was proud of his run to the final.
He said: 'I don't know if I have to be sad or happy of this final, but I feel great. I'm happy for Novak, because he played unbelievably today.'
Djokovic returned the compliment: 'He had an unbelievable tournament. If he won tonight, it would be absolutely deserved.'
Then he dismissed the notion that the Federer era was over.
'It's not possible that only one tournament can change history. He's still planning to be the best player in the world.'
But, after seemingly a lifetime, the tennis welcomes a new winner.
INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE, ASSOCIATED PRESS
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