(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-01-28 10:58

MELBOURNE - Novak Djokovic stood toe-to-toe with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and soaked up everything the Muhammad Ali of tennis could throw at him before delivering a knock-out blow to clinch the Australian Open title on Sunday.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic holds the trophy aloft as he celebrates after winning his men's singles final match against France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne January 27, 2008. [Agencies]

Tsonga, nicknamed Ali for his resemblance to the former heavyweight boxing champion, was the crowd favourite to win his first grand slam but Djokovic was too solid and too steely and it was the Serb who snatched his first major title 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-6.

"I am very happy to have won my first grand slam here," the third seed smiled to the crowd. "I hope to see you here in this position many times more.

"I want to thank all the Serbian fans who came here to support me -- I am so proud to be the first Serbian to win a grand slam title.

"I think it will be crazy house back in Serbia right now."

Monica Seles won three Australian Open titles while competing under the Yugoslav flag from 1991-1993.

Unseeded 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 Open in 80 years.

Djokovic had dealt with world number one Roger Federer in the semis but initially he could not out-muscle his burly opponent.

Tsonga crunched aces and slammed winners, taking the match to the world number three and keeping him on his heels.

But Djokovic is a determined character and kept gunning away.

His reward came in the seventh game of the second set. Djokovic 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 world number three pummelled his chest with his fist and marched to his seat.

There was a spring in his step which had been missing at the start and Tsonga's head dropped.

Djokovic squared the match with an ace and secured a break early in the third set as his experience began to tell. He steered the ball around court with purpose while Tsonga relied on flashy winners for the bulk of his points.

A second break with Tsonga serving at 5-3 down clinched the third for Djokovic but not before the Frenchman had fought off six set points.

China's Sun Tiantian (L) and Serbia's Nenad Zimonjic celebrate after they won their mixed doubles final against India's Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne January 27, 2008. [Agencies]

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 at the Frenchman's antics.

Fifth seeds Sun Tiantian of China and Serbia's Nenad Zimonjic overcame feisty Indians Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza 7-6 6-4 to win their first Australian Open mixed doubles title on Sunday.

In the mixed doubles, fifth seeds Sun Tiantian of China and Serbia's Nenad Zimonjic overcame feisty Indians Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza 7-6 6-4 to win their first Australian Open mixed doubles title on Sunday.

It was the second time Zimonjic has won the trophy after combining with Elena Bovina to lift it in 2004. He also won the French Open mixed doubles title with Katarina Srebotnik in 2006.

Sun and Zimonjic led 3-1 in the first set before the Indian pair fought back, reeling off three successive games until Mirza, who had her left thigh heavily strapped, lost her serve.

Both pairs held serve to force the tiebreak, with Bhupathi and Mirza jumping out to a 3-0 lead before Sun and Zimonjic dragged themselves back and took it 7-4.

Sun and Zimojnic broke Bhupathi in the first game of the second set and threatened to break Mirza again in the seventh before they held championship points on Bhupathi's serve in the ninth, which the Indians managed to fight off.

Zimonjic, however, sealed victory in the next game at the second opportunity when a Bhupathi volley sailed wide.