Novak Djokovic is no longer content to settle for second heading to the All England Club this year.
Serb aiming to break dominance of top two
Novak Djokovic may be clinging to the coat-tails of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, but the Serb is no longer content to settle for second or third best heading to the All England Club this year.
Djokovic's maiden major triumph in the Australian Open this year, including a magnificent straight-sets dismissal of Federer in the semi-finals, marked a huge breakthrough in his bid to match his two illustrious rivals.
And it finally underlined what many tennis watchers had believed for some time: that if any of the current crop of young talent was capable of shattering the current duopoly, it was the 21-year-old from Belgrade.
Having shown commendable spirit in fighting back from two breaks down to force a third set tie-break in his French Open semi-final to Nadal - a performance put into context by Nadal's final win over Federer - Djokovic is in good heart.
"I know I am the third best player in the world," said Djokovic.
"I have a lot of expectations but I need to go step by step. I have had some good results this year and I have proved I deserve to be there.
"But I don't want to push myself too far to say I need to be number one in the world this year or next year.
"I don't need that (pressure). I need to think about what I do and try to get my game to the highest possible level."
Even given the changing conditions of the grass courts which appeal more to baseliners like Nadal, few would dispute that Djokovic on his day represents the biggest threat to Federer retaining his crown for a sixth time.
Last year Djokovic looked on course for a final challenge to the Swiss star when he won the first set of his semi-final against Nadal before his physical exertions took their toll and he was forced to retire midway through the third set.
But having kept those injury problems at bay during his most successful season on the tour to date, Djokovic is poised to provide his sternest challenge, according to none other than grass-court legend Pete Sampras.
Eclipsed
"Djokovic is the one guy in the world that can still actually run with Roger and hit with Roger," said Sampras.
"He can do all that stuff. The way I see it Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are the three best players in the world right now."
Djokovic's rise into the world's elite eclipsed even that of his rival and great friend Andy Murray. Starting 2006 ranked 78th in the world, he reached the quarters at Roland Garros and the fourth round at Wimbledon to make the top 40.
A straight sets defeat to Federer in the fourth round in Australia the following year did not stall his momentum. A phenomenal US hard-court season lifted him into the world's top 10.
But it was that win over Federer at the beginning of this year that truly marked out Djokovic as a contender for the world number one spot, as he swatted Federer aside 7-5 6-3 7-6 in Melbourne.
The win ended Federer's run to 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals, and was the first time the Swiss ace had lost in straight sets in a Grand Slam tournament since 2004, when he lost to the now-retired Gustavo Kuerten.
No wonder Djokovic now finds himself heading to Wimbledon saddled with the extra expectation that comes with being a Grand Slam champion preparing for a challenge on arguably his favourite surface.
With Nadal possibly due to show some after-effects from his French Open triumph, and Federer, too, coming to terms with one of the most crushing losses of his career, now may be the time for Djokovic to make his mark on grass.
"The grass court season is something I always look forward to," said Djokovic. "We all know that the grass is much slower than it used to be, so the baseline players have more success.
"But I played the semi-finals of Wimbledon last year, so I have no reason not to expect any big results this time either. I am really looking forward to it."
