Two days ago, after Djokovic routed Federer at the Australian Open 2008 semi-finals, I wrote in my blog that "...we'd go for a Djokovic win on Sunday."  When my compatriot Greg commented his agreement to that blog, I replied, "My fearless forecast is Djokovic in four sets."

So, less than an hour ago, World No. 3 Novak Djokovic, 20 (right, photo below), won over the unseeded French Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 22 (left, photo below), at the Australian Open 2008 Men's Tennis Finals, in four sets. My prophesy was correct. That was Djokovic's first Grand Slam and the youngest winner since Stefan Edberg. (A day earlier, I predicted that Maria Sharapova will win. She did.)

I am a prophet.

Or maybe I just read the games and the players too well that I correctly identified both winners, and more accurately the number of sets when Djokovic would topple Tsonga. Whew. I am scared at the accuracy. (I already knew my knack for predictions. Happened quite a few times in the past.)

The Championships fought earlier was the best game I have ever seen since Wimbledon 2002. It had the ferocity of a Sampras and the consistency on an Agassi. Both guys were tireless and ran after each ball like Nadal does.

Anyway, back to the tennis winners. Everybody is already saying that new names for champions have already emerged. Djokovic already had his first Grand Slam. Tsonga would surely hold his Grand Slam trophy very soon. Both guys, Tsonga and Djokovic would be the face of tennis in the many years to come. I give it to the guys; fierce on court, but very polite to each other on the winners' stand during the awarding ceremonies. Both young but yet already possessing the virtue and decorum befitting true champions. It would also be interesting to watch out for Roland Garros (the next Grand Slam, in France) where Tsonga would try to ride on the home court advantage and slug the trophy from three time consecutive champion Rafael Nadal to win his first Grand Slam. And of course, Djokovic will be there to give Roland Garros a very good show.

(Btw, Tsonga was born in France to a French mother and a black father from Congo. Both parents are now teachers at the Le Mans region of France.)

But I think the biggest winner in today's Finals was Adidas. Both Djokovic and Tsonga were outfitted and sponsored by Adidas. I am sure Nike was gnawing its cuticles to bleed with the marketing smarts of Adidas. Just look at the two guys' shirts on their photo above, the Adidas logo is smiling its way happily to the bank.

The officials at the Australian Open said and I agree that the hands of tennis are now in good hands. I am happy now.

And as my another tennis textmate Daisy from Iloilo said, she almost got constipated watching the game earlier, her first tight feeling for a game after Sampras retired. She said that she would have reasons to watch and cheer the ATP and Grand Slam matches to come.

How do you solve the problem like Maria?

The answer came in Melbourne, Australia - January 26, 2008 (that's this afternoon). Maria Sharapova of Russia (right, photo below) pose with her Australian Open 2008 Women's Champion trophy, and Ana  Ivanovic of Serbia, runner-up, holding her plate after the Women's Final match of the Australian Open 2008 at Melbourne Park. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)



Our predictions were proven correct. Maria Sharapova won. It's her third Grand Slam win (1st was in Wimbledone in 2004 when she was 17; then the US Open in 2006 when she was 19; and this Australian Open win at age 20.)

This third Grand Slam win by Sharapova at age 20, (and Ana Ivanovic also 20) proved that tennis champs redefine the meaning of "old" and "retirable". When office workers retire at age 65, tennis could retire a player at a tender age of 25 (to 28). Even the Williams sisters, Venus, 27 and Serena, 26; Martina Hingis, 27, who once ruled the Grand Slams alternately, looked like they are old compared to the new surge of tennis talents. (But Hingis did drugs, so her retirement is justified.) Former champions Lindsay Davenport and Jennifer Capriati who are both 31, are already retired. Tsk tsk tsk.

Another good thing that surprised me in this Rod Laver Grand Slam is it being called the Grand Slam of Asia and the Pacific. In a fitting occasion, Live telecasts were done in Sydney and Shanghai via huge screens in the cities' city centers. The citizens in these cities were acknowledged during the winners' presentation and beamed Live to the audience in Melbourne. I still have to find out which other major cities in the Asia/Pacific region had Live feeds on the Championships. This is one brilliant stroke. So the ever impassioned Asian tennis nit and buff that I am was happy at this touch of geographical association.

Finally, a renaissance in tennis has already happened. The world saw the rise of No. 3 Novak Djokovic of Serbia as he defeated the invincible No. 1 Roger Federer in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (5) in the Australian Open semifinals early tonight. The game was spectacular as both men exchanged superb volleys and serves. But it was the 20-year old Novak who proved to be the better player when he outplayed the 26-year old Federer who was reduced to seem old. Novak knew that today, he was the better player. (Photo below is Djokovic's parents and brothers sporting N-O-L-E shirts, cheering him on.)

It was doubly fantastic for me as I have been rallying about the issue of the game when I wrote yesterday and I write again that "...the issue I am concerned about is the monotony of the fact that it is always Federer who wins. If this continues, what challenge and excitement are left to watch on the Grand Slams?"

"Predictability is surely not the ingredient that tennis lovers would want to see. We want challenge. We want excitement. We want surprise. And Roger Federer needs other players to make these much needed sporting ingredients. If his surge continues, then the game that we love so much will be boring. And boring is a sure route to the demise and gasp, extinction of this game."

I waited FIVE LONG YEARS FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. And it did happen today.

My soothsaying proved me correct when I said yesterday that "At the start of this Grand Slam, I was hopeful that Rafael Nadal or the Serb Novak Djokovic to give Federer a good beating."

Federer, who is one win shy of Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slams, had been in the last ten Grand Slam Finals, winning seven and losing to Rafael Nadal in the last three consecutive French Open at Roland Garros. This afternoon, everybody who breath and live tennis saw that Federer is after all mortal.

In fairness to the highly heralded Federer, he had always been a good sport and a gentleman. He never curses, rarely loses his cool and does not fight with the umpires. However, due to his incessant winning, I challenged the idea that if he continues to do so, the luster of the game will dissipate and turn boring.

So come Sunday, the world will usher the new superpowers led by Novak and the 22-year old French Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the Australian Open Finals. Tsonga likewise proved his mighty worth when he beat No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the other semifinals.

After the Djokovic-Federer match, I had conversations with some tennis buffs and we agree that we'd go for a Djokovic win on Sunday. Though Tsonga shows more strength, but Djokovic's  consistency at the baseline and his serves might do him good over the French.

Anyway,  Sunday's Finals could only be good for tennis as finally, we already have a new era of very young guns ready and able to make breathtaking games. Hopefully, we would see the end of a Federer dominance and see the emergence of young guns led by Djokovic and Tsonga to join Nadal, the American James Blake, the British Andy Murray, the Argentine David Nalbandian, the Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, and perhaps hope for the resurgence of the Russian Marat Safin.

With this spectacular group, we can now witness the re-engineering of tennis and see great games reminiscent of the days when Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, Patrick Rafter and Jim Courier alternately ruled the various surfaces of the four Grand Slams.

May I be correct in these assumptions.

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Wait, the last photo above are the sisters Alona Bondarenko, right, and Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine who beat Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and Shahar Peer of Israel in the Final of the Women's doubles at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 25, 2008. Look at them closely. (haha I'm such a prick.)