Djokovic continues to slip under the radar

With all the talk about Andy Murray during this year’s Australian Open, you could be forgiven for forgetting just who the defending champion is. Even names such as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have been touted as potential winners before the defending champion, who has barely been mentioned in some quarters.

His name is Novak Djokovic, and the Serb has started his Australian Open campaign in impressive fashion, after comfortably reaching the last 32 with an impressive straight-sets win over Jeremy Chardy.

So, why has Djokovic not been considered as a contender? This is the surface where he feels most comfortable, after all. He proved that with his victory in Melbourne just 12 months ago, where he came from behind to defeat Jo Wilfred Tsonga and become the first Serb to win a grand slam.

Djokovic came out of that final as the newest hot property in men’s tennis.

The first half of his 2008 season was impressive, with semifinal appearances in the French Open, where he lost to the eventual winner and clay-court specialist Nadal, and four of the five Masters events in 2008, with overall victories in Indian Wells and Rome showing his true potential. Things were certainly looking bright.

However, a disappointing showing at Wimbledon followed, with Marit Safin disposing of the Serbian in the second round; a defeat that confirmed Djokovic had a long way to go before dislodging Federer and Nadal at the top of men’s tennis.

The second half of the year was topsy-turvy, with controversy regarding the player’s fitness in the US Open, an incident which led to Djokovic’s criticism of the New York crowd. Third-round defeats in the Madrid and Paris Masters followed and illustrated Djokovic’s lack of form and confidence.

The year did end well for Djokovic though, with victory in the Masters Cup ensuring he ended 2008 on a high.

The emergence of Murray also didn’t help matters. 2008 was a year where the young Scot came of age, and emerged as a true contender for a Slam—in the eyes of the media at least.

But to forget about Djokovic would be foolish. He is, after all, capable of beating the very best on his day, and his talent cannot be denied.

There’s no doubting the credentials of Murray, who looks to be a player in top form, and we know enough about Federer and Nadal. But Djokovic is a top player in his own right, something that many have neglected to mention as the 2009 tennis season begins.

He looks sharp on his return to Australia, that’s for sure. He’s yet to drop a set as things stand, though things are bound to get more difficult as the tournament progresses. The early elimination of David Nalbandian in Djokovic’s section of the draw will help matters though.

With all the talk concerning Murray and others, Djokovic will look to continue to slip under the radar and go about his business. With all the added pressure seemingly affecting his game in 2008, you feel that will suit the defending champion just fine.