Top 10 players of the decade - Men (Part 1)

In our last two editions of the 'BEST of the DECADE' we talked about 10 of the finest women's players that graced the tennis world with their guile, charm and charisma. So, now we turn our attention to men who dominated the 2000-09 decade with their phenomenal achievements and swashbuckling performances to make the cut at the 'top 10 best male tennis players of the decade' list.

10 - Novak Djokovic

We kick off our top 10 list with a player who is undoubtly, one of the finest players of his generation, Novak Djokovic. The mighty Serbian first came into limelight when he beat some of the biggest names in tennis including six time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal, to win the 2007 ATP Masters series event in Miami. Djokovic then made impressive progress at the Grand slam level with a French Open quarterfinal already under his belt. The following months turned out to be truly remarkable for the Serb, who made it to the semifinals at Wimbledon and shocked the top three players in the world (No.3 Roddick, No.2 Nadal and No.1 Federer) to win his second masters shield of the year in Toronto, Canada. More success followed when Djokovic reached the maiden slam final of his career at the U.S. Open where he held several set points before succumbing to defeat at the hands of Roger Federer in straight sets. The year 2008 brought the well-deserved Grand Slam glory for the Serbian star who beat none other than Roger Federer en route to winning his first major at the Australian Open. With the elusive triumph, Djokovic became the first ever Grand Slam champion from Serbia. Another Masters Series title at Indian Wells confirmed that the Serb's astonishing success in Melbourne was not a flash in the pan. After an injury-hampered start to the clay court season, Djokovic showed his all-court finesse by winning his fourth Masters series title in Rome, coupled with a semifinal finish at Roland Garros. After a dismal performance at the green grass of Wimbledon, Djokovic achieved a milestone in his career by winning the Bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Djokovic's 2008 U.S. Open appearance was dogged by controversies when his verbal vollies directed towards home-favourite Andy Roddick led him to face severe booing during his semifinal match against Roger Federer. Djokovic then put the bad memories behind to end the year on a fantastic note by winning the Tennis Masters Cup, held in Shanghai. The 2009 season began amidst several unexpected exits by the Serbian, the most significant of which...........................

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