Djokovic ready to challenge Federer
Djokovic ready to challenge Federer 
By Leo Schlink
Former Australian Captain January 29, 2008
AUSTRALIAN Open winner Novak Djokovic has thrown down the gauntlet to vanquished Roger Federer, declaring he had the confidence to challenge the world champion on any surface.
Djokovic expects Federer to rebound fiercely from his Melbourne Park disappointment, but the Serb has no doubt he has dented the Swiss master’s aura.
Asked if he had the self-belief to test Federer
on all surfaces, Djokovic did not hesitate in answering: “Yes, I think I do. I’m still starting to get there and I’m only 20 years old.
“I still have a lot of time and every time I play him or whoever from the top, I learn something new.
“I try to take all the positives out of the matches and I used some experience from the US Open final in the Australian Open final yesterday.
“It helped me a lot.”
Djokovic inflicted Federer’s first straight-sets defeat at Grand Slam level since 2004 with a semi-final whipping.
Standing on the banks of the Yarra yesterday with a bottle of champagne and the Norman Brookes Cup, Djokovic sounded — and looked — every bit a Grand Slam champion.
His four-set win over Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has caused the Belgrade right-hander to revise his immediate aspirations.
“For me and my career, this win means the world,” Djokovic said.
“Before this year started, I said I wanted to win a Grand Slam — this is my highest goal — so I have already reached it.
“This year’s final was a bit unusual because of the dominance of Federer and Rafael Nadal in the last three or four years.
“Everybody expected them to play finals and nobody expected Roger to lose in straight sets in the semi. It’s good for the sport to see some new faces and some young players coming up.
“There is more variety. I think it’s nice.
“We’re both young and coming up and absolutely deserve to be in the finals.”
Djokovic stopped only marginally short of saying Federer and Nadal’s absence from a major final for the first time in three years marked a changing of the guard.
