5 players who made their Grand Slam breakthrough at the Australian Open

#2 Novak Djokovic - 2008

Novak Djokovic hoists aloft his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2008 Australian Open

Four months after being thwarted in his maiden Grand Slam final by Roger Federer at the 2007 US Open, Novak Djokovic exacted revenge by dethroning the two-time defending champion in the 2008 Australian Open semifinals - to book a title showdown with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

In a clash between two men looking for their first Major title, it was the Frenchman who made the stronger start. Following an early exchange of serves, the match settled down into a baseline slugfest.

Djokovic lost his serve for the second time in the set to drop the opener, but Tsonga failed to ride his momentum in the second set as the Serb restored parity.

The Serb then underlined his ascendancy in the contest by taking the third set to move to within a set of his first Grand Slam title. At 5-6 in a competitive second set, Tsonga ignored an open court at his mercy to squander his lone set point of the set.

Djokovic overcame the momentary lapse to streak across the finish line, in the process becoming the first Serbian player and the 50th overall to lift a Grand Slam title in the Open Era.

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