It’s 1993 and Stephon Marbury and the Lincoln Rail Splitters are getting ready for a big road game at New Utrecht. At the time, many basketball observers felt that Utrecht’s big center Kareem Lewis could be a factor in beating their Brooklyn rival.

There was even talk that Lewis and the Utes could win the PSAL that year. They had reached the semis the previous March before eventual champ Walton eliminated them. Maybe they shouldn’t have ever considered it because of what happened that cold December winter day.

Me and a few buddies had made the trip across the Verrazano once I got out of school to check out this big game. Like many, we were expecting to see a very competitive HS basketball game between the two schools. However, little did we realize what we and the rest of the observers at the packed old gym would be in store for that memorable day.

Bobby Hartstein’s Railsplitters were really good. They had been to the PSAL championship earlier that year only to lose to Walton in a tight game at Madison Square Garden with a broken hearted Marbury crying afterwards limping off the floor due to a fractured hip. I was in attendance for it. Back then, Coney Island’s Finest actually cared about winning championships. It’s amazing sometimes how things turn out. Especially with how it’s gone for Starbury in a Knick uniform.

Marbury was determined to bring the PSAL title back to Lincoln off the Ocean Parkway exit which ironically enough sat directly across from where my grandparents lived. So that was always pretty damn cool cause I’d be able to stop in their apartment and visit and have a nice meal afterwards.

That place for me as a kid was like a second home. My grandma always took me to the beach growing up and we’d frequently go to the supermarket and pickup fresh peaches and plums. The best!

Lincoln wasn’t just a one-man show that season. In our debut entry a week ago, we documented Marbury’s much overlooked cousin Jamel Thomas, who started at power forward and went onto a splendid four-year career at Providence becoming an All-Big East selection before going overseas after the NBA didn’t workout.

Thomas always had a nice inside game for an undersized 6-6 frame. He’d frequently battle bigger bodies and win his fair share due to a hard work ethic. He could score down in the low post and get his share of rebounds. He also was a solid defender. That day, he drew the tough assignment of the bigger Lewis but was up to the challenge bodying him up and keeping the New Utrecht senior center out of the paint.

If there also was an area he had improved, it was his ability to step out and make the open jump shot from 16-17 feet. That was on display the following season during Lincoln’s run to a PSAL title in 1994-95.

New Utrecht was an old barn where the baskets actually hung attached to old wires giving it a nostalgic feel. The atmosphere was great because you had seats facing the end basket on top of the action as well as balcony seats where fans could also stand and enjoy the game as well. Not surprisingly, the place was filled completely up. These were two Brooklyn teams who had made the Final Four back in March 1993. Many expected the schools to be at 33rd and Seventh for possibly a championship. Could this be a possible preview?

That’s what perked our curiosity. Being from Staten Island, the basketball wasn’t bad but the quality just couldn’t compete with what these schools offered. In terms of talent and athletic ability, it was no comparison. Even if solid programs such as Curtis and St. Peter’s ruled our borough, they weren’t on that level.

Like any kids growing up, we wanted to see the best players in the city. I don’t think I ever viewed it as, ‘Wow. He could one day be an NBA star.’ More like it was something to do. B-ball ruled! There was always something cool about checking out those type of games in a wild environment. I went to my share of games at Fordham during that time.

Being a travel basketball player out here helped. We had a very good team which won a couple of championships and competed at the Maccabiah Games. You always knew there were better players though. Especially at the HS level. I will say I played with some very smart players and the experience was just awesome much as it was running cross country at McKee/Staten Island Tech.

The level of excitement was always there no matter the sport. I loved running at both Clove Lakes and Van Cortlandt Park but the best was traveling to Penn or Brown. It was freaking kick ass. Kind of like some of our basketball trips which included Syracuse, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts to see the Basketball Hall of Fame. It didn’t matter what your role was because you felt part of something special.

That’s what T-E-A-M sports are all about.

Back to the game. Well, as you probably figured out by now, it wasn’t much of a contest as Thomas won the inside battle against Lewis who never found a rhythm. With the Railsplitters building a double digit lead, there was plenty of trash being dished out by Marbury. You could see how much the game meant to him and his teammates who would wind up making a statement blowing the doors off Utrecht in their own building.

With Thomas fairing well and Marbury having a stellar game in which he did whatever he wanted (score, dish, etc.), it felt pretty anti-climatic late in the fourth quarter. That’s when his cousin gave him the signal on an out of bounds play underneath the Utrecht basket on the opposite end. They were up by about 25. So the game was well at hand.

One of the things I liked about Thomas’ game is that he also was an underrated passer. He took out the ball frequently and made good passes finding open ‘mates. Here, he just put his index finger up which I noticed and thought was strange. Next thing I knew, a streaking Marbury went from about the free throw line taking off like Air Jordan catching a perfect lob and jamming it home for the exclamation point. As I described earlier, these were old baskets which were attached. So, the impact was unreal as it just shook all over.

Of course, everyone in the gym ate it up going, “Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!”

It was that freaking awesome. Maybe the much anticipated Lincoln-New Utrecht match-up didn’t live up to the hype but at the very least, Marbury and Thomas gave everyone in the place that day something to remember. To those who are into YouTube, etc., you didn’t need a camera or a camcorder. If you witnessed it live, it stuck with you. I can still see the fresh image clear as day like it just happened.

That’s what made going to that particular game so special.

Next: Part III of the untold saga

It just concluded down under. There’s a new Australian Open champion and it’s Novak Djokovic. The 20 year-old made history by becoming the first ever Serbian to win a singles major by coming back to post a four set 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (2) victory over unseeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at a capacity Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park Sunday night.

He did it with great poise and amazing but deadly precision in outslugging the powerful Tsonga, who unseated four Top 15 players during a remarkable run to his first career final.

Despite a shaky beginning in which he was outhit by the 22 year-old Tsonga in the first set, Djokovic steadied his game and began to turn the tide by winning lengthy rallies in the second set. It didn’t start out promising as he was in trouble early down 0-30 in a game but dug out of it. He played the bigger points better.

Once Djokovic started serving well, he began to dig in on Tsonga’s second serve and attack it finally netting the break he needed to draw even.

Early in the match, it was Tsonga who made some amazing shots on the dead run including a forehand crosscourt reply which setup set point and then an even more unbelievable forehand topspin lob from a couple of feet behind the baseline which gave him the upper hand.

However, as the match unfolded, Djokovic turned up the heat boasting a steadier backhand which helped give him an edge from the baseline. Though the first-time grand slam winner had only two more winners (46-44), he was the fresher player throughout and grabbed control by breaking his lesser experienced opponent (just Tsonga’s fifth slam appearance) three times in the second and third sets to suddenly pull within one of his destiny.

Maybe the extra time on court for Tsonga was part of the reason for a dip in play which saw him committing more errors while also failing to make a dent on Djokovic’s serve. In fact, he didn’t reach another break point until deep into the fourth set which his opponent calmly fought off with some nifty touch at the net thanks to a backhand volley crosscourt winner.

Djokovic’s defense in particular won him a lot of points in a Australian Open Final which took better than three hours to complete before an energetic pro-Tsonga crowd. Despite challenging elements which even saw his very supportive family surrounded by a French contingent hoping their new hero could become the first male from their country to win a slam since Yannick Noah (1983 French Open), the 2007 U.S. Open runner-up had what it took to overcome everything and win his first career major.

That even included a bout with cramps where the enthusiastic Serb needed the trainer during a three-minute injury timeout to help reenergize him during the fourth set.

Tsonga certainly gave everything he had and more to get the exciting match to a deciding fifth set. The problem was his feisty No.3 ranked opponent wouldn’t cooperate despite his body beginning to feel the effects. It was his guts and desperation which allowed him to fight off the only break chance late in the set before it predictably went to a tiebreaker.

In it, Djokovic was more efficient while Tsonga forced the issue misfiring on a couple of crucial points to hand him a double mini-break 5-2 cushion. He already had done the impossible beating Roger Federer in straight sets. Novak certainly wasn’t going to let this golden opportunity slip away.

After some splendid hitting forced a Tsonga miscue, it setup four championship points. When his opponent’s forehand sailed a couple of feet wide, the victory was his. An emotional Djokovic fell to the Rod Laver court and kissed it before being congratulated by his very popular opponent.

It was a tremendous final which proved that the men’s game doesn’t need Federer or Rafael Nadal fighting for the championship at every slam. These two guys gave a tremendous effort and put on an outstanding show.

The only thing missing was a dramatic final set. Credit Djokovic for digging deep to finish off a determined Tsonga in the breaker where he improved to a remarkable 33-6 for his career. Not bad for a kid who’s only been on tour a shade over four years.

He’s definitely going to win more majors. The growing question is will he get in the way of Federer’s quest to match Pete Sampras’ record 14 slams? That along with whether Roger can finally complete the career grand slam on clay against Nadal should make for an intriguing season.

As for Tsonga, his enthusiasm and mannerisms are a joy to watch. You certainly hope he sticks around and doesn’t suffer a post-Aussie Final hangover a la Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis. He hasn’t quite been the same since his similar run two years prior. Ironically, he grabbed the first set off Federer before the world’s best player took the next three.

Hopefully, Tsonga will continue to play well and be a factor the rest of the year. It would also be nice to see Baghdatis reemerge.

All in all, a great first grand slam with a couple of 20 year-old champions in Djokovic and Russian Maria Sharapova.

Congrats to both. More reaction later today.

Tonight in less than 10 minutes, we discuss Super Bowl XLII between the Giants and Patriots. What do we expect to see a week from now?

All the usual breakdown plus whatever else we feel like discussing.

So join us and drink or better yet call!!!!!!!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hardhits21

As a fellow St. John’s alum who majored in Sports Management, it pains me to see how bad a shape the basketball program continues to be in these days. Remember the days when you could scream emphatically, “We Are St. John’s!!!!!!”

It’s been a while since we could take tremendous pride in our Redmen. I refuse to use Red Storm because it’s not who they are in my book. How pathetic is it that there are so many supersensitive people who waste their team making a ridiculous deal out of team names. As if it’s some sort of bias associated with a nickname. This is freaking sports people! Not politics!!!!! When are these losers going to move on with their lives instead of bitching about stuff that really isn’t their business?

There. It had to be said.

Now onto the Redmen’s latest Big East defeat falling by 10 at Louisville. It’s too bad that Anthony Mason, Jr. plays on such a bad team because the son of the former Knick we called Mase has been utterly brilliant lately. His latest big performance today included seven three-pointers and a game-high 29 on 10-of-21 from the floor in St. John’s 67-57 road defeat at Louisville.

The 29 matched a career best established this past week in a blowout home loss to 13th ranked Pittsburgh. Problem was the rest of his teammates shot an inept 7-of-32 from the field for an ugly 21.9 percent.

That just won’t get it done against any halfway decent team. Especially in the Big East. So, can it get any worse for Norm Roberts’ club which deproved to 1-6 in conference play and 7-11 overall? Are you kidding?!?!?!?!?! They next get perennial rival Georgetown at the Garden on Wednesday. That could be ugly.

This team just doesn’t have much offensive creativity. It’s basically watch their only legit scoring threat while standing around. Is there any coaching being done? Granted. They usually play hard as evidenced by the spirit the five on the floor minus former Lincoln star Eugene Lawrence had in the final seconds playing to the buzzer.

I don’t want to hear about Lawrence moving into third all-time on the school’s assist list. While he can be effective at times, he just isn’t consistent enough running this offense. So much of how you play depends on your point guard. They’re expected to be the floor leader. There are too many instances where they’re jacking up shots early in the shot clock instead of moving the ball crisply. That reflects poorly on Lawrence who hasn’t distributed the ball nearly enough as the Brooklyn native did last year averaging a career best 5.6 assists.

Want to know the difference in this game aside from former St. Patrick’s star Derrick Caracter predictably torching the smaller Johnies inside for a team-high 17 including a couple of three-point plays during a 16-1 spurt which broke open a close second half? Points off turnovers. The Cards held roughly a 20-point edge in that category because the Redmen didn’t take care of the basketball and allowed too many transition buckets during that critical stretch where they went ice cold from the floor after slicing a Cardinal 15-point deficit to seven.

Like many games this season, Roberts’ team got close but then were answered by superior offensive play from their opponent. By the time they got back on track thanks to a great individual effort from Mason who scored inside and outside, it was too late as they trailed 56-35 with 8:30 left.

I think what’s most disappointing is how Rick Pitino’s Cards started the run which salted away the game improving them to 5-2 in the Big East and 15-5 overall. By setting up a couple of wide open trifectas including a big momentum-killing one from long range specialist Juan Palacios. You had to know they would do that.

Even with Mason draining a career high seven from downtown, it was still the Cards who made one more from long range hitting on 9-of-22 while St. John’s finished 8-of-22. Btw…Mason was 7-of-11 while the rest of his teammates were a putrid 1-for-11 with just sophomore Larry Wright (1-for-7 FG, all three’s) getting his only basket from behind the arc in garbage time.

Not surprisingly, Mason, Jr. was the only St. John’s player in double figures while the Cardinals had more of a balanced attack with three players getting at least 10-or-more including 15 and five boards from Jerry Smith along with three treys.

A pair of promising freshmen Justin Burrell and D.J. Kennedy had nine and seven respectively for the Redmen.

I will say this about Mason, Jr. This kid has worked extremely hard to comeback from an ankle sprain and really is ballin’. It’s ashame that his team isn’t a little better because he’s not getting enough exposure for how good he really is.

If you watched how he scored his baskets and got teammates involved late, it’s a credit to how hard he plays. He still was giving it a yeoman effort at the defensive end as well.

The small forward deserves more recognition. He’s been in double digits 11 straight games and continues to get better all the time. The good news is he’s got another year remaining. Maybe that can improve his draft stock. But much will depend on his teammates maturity level next Fall.

For now, it’s definitely a struggle for Mason and his teammates. We’ll see what they come up with against one of the best teams in the country Wednesday night.

McAlarney torches Villanova: If you live out on Staten Island AKA Shaolin, there aren’t many HS basketball players who go onto play for big time college programs. That former Moore Catholic star guard Kyle McAlarney is doing so for Notre Dame is just awesome stuff.

The junior guard continues to improve his game. Today, he lit up No.18 Villanova for a game best 30 points and five assists in a solid 90-80 road win for the Fighting Irish.

Now 20, McAlarney was a lethal scorer out here in his Moore days with former coach Rich Postiglione leaving the keys to the gym for his star player to get more practice time in. I saw him play a couple of times fortunately as SI76 covers HS sports like the pros out here. The kid is just deadly from long range. He was nailing NBA three’s during his HS days where during an impressive four-year career he averaged almost 35-a-game along with 4.5 boards and a respectable six assists.

Staten Island’s all-time leading scorer finished with 2,566 points- placing fourth all-time in New York state history. He also won the Jacques Award twice for the best player out here and earned New York Class A Player of the Year in his senior year back in 2005.

Sure. The Staten Island High School League (SIHSL) isn’t quite on the level of the rest of the city but basketball out here has gotten better. PSAL schools such as Curtis and Port Richmond are usually good and catholic programs such as St. Peter’s, Farrell and Moore compete against some of the best schools in the city including Rice, St. Raymond’s and All Hallows.

You can’t take away from how good this kid is. If you can play, they’ll find you as evidenced with Mike Brey’s Irish. His sophomore season was well documented for the wrong reasons as he got suspended for marijuana possession last year.

It looked like he wouldn’t be returning to school. McAlarney even appeared on SI76’s Sports Time with host Joe Nugent where the former Moore star was interviewed at the school during his time off.

Not surprisingly, Nugent went to bat for the kid who never got in trouble before. Or at least that’s what we heard. You never really can tell. But he did have a solid reputation and achieved high grades at school. So, who knows?

Sometimes, kids make mistakes. It took a trip by Brey to his home which convinced McAlarney to return for his Junior season at South Bend. This year, he’s averaging a career high 14.6 points along with 3.4 assists on a good Irish team which should be back in the NCAA tournament. At the moment, thanks to five trifectas and an efficient 10-of-15 shooting from the junior, they improved to 4-2 in conference play and 14-4 overall.

So, how much has changed for McAlarney in a year? Well for starters, he’s now in the news for the right reasons drawing plenty of praise instead of harsh criticism.

As Chicago Tribune reporter Brian Hamilton points out in a recent article appropriately entitled, “From castoff to blastoff,” McAlarney has done a lot of growing up this season.

“I’m a very different player on the court, but also just a very different person, I feel,” McAlarney said. “I’m very proud of myself. I hold my head high no matter what. I kind of realized basketball is just a game. You have to enjoy every minute of it because when it gets taken away, and you can’t play in games and compete, it’s pretty tough.

“You just have to enjoy every moment of it. I’ve been doing that this year. And I’m having a blast.”

Lesson learned.

Say this about Uconn coach Jim Calhoun. He knows how to coach in big games. The Hall of Famer who’s guided the Huskies to two national championships and six Big East Tournament victories came away with an impressive five-point road victory over No.7 ranked Indiana (17-2) in Bloomington- snapping the Hoosiers’ 29-game home winning streak.

Despite suspending starting guard Jerome Dyson (14.3 PPG ranks 2nd on team) and backup guard Doug Wiggins, Calhoun’s young team still came away with an impressive come from behind 68-63 victory over Kevin Sampson’s strong perimeter oriented Hoosiers Saturday.

“It obviously isn’t something that is making me particularly happy,” Calhoun acknowledged to The Hartford Courant the previous night at an Indiana hotel.

“This particular suspension is mine, no one else’s. I took the action based upon what I felt was in the best interest of our basketball team and the university.”

It just makes Connecticut’s (14-5, 4-3 Big East) well earned road victory over a tough opponent in a great atmosphere all the more impressive. The Huskies were led by starting point guard A.J. Price who had a solid all around game finishing with 14 points, six rebounds and six assists.

The junior out of Amityville, New York led a balanced attack which featured five Huskies hitting double digits including Craig Austrie who replaced Dyson in the starting lineup and scored nine of his team best 15 from the charity stripe down the stretch. The junior who usually comes off the bench for Calhoun shoots better than 93 percent from the line and did in the Hoosiers by going nine-for-12 to put away the game.

Uconn showed enough poise to offset 11 three-pointers including six from Indiana’s Armon Bassett- two more by his lonesome than their four from downtown.

Part of the reason the Huskies prevailed was that they were able to limit one of the best freshmen in the country Eric Gordon to 14 on five of 16 shooting including just one-for-five from behind the arc. The talented guard who stars for his hometown school entered averaging better than 22-per-game including over 41 percent from three. Uconn was able to get him into foul trouble (four fouls) and limit his effectiveness.

One of the big differences in the two teams was the Huskies’ ability to score inside. They were plus-18 inside the paint thanks to bigs Jeff Adrien (11 pts), Stanley Robinson (11 pts) and 7-3 giant Hasheem Thabeet (12 pts on six-of-seven FG). That kind of size advantage gave them a decided edge (34-16) despite Indiana senior power forward D.J. White getting 13 despite four fouls.

The Huskies aren’t known as a great free throw shooting team but they got their share going to the line 18 more times than the Hoosiers (six-of-eight), finishing a respectable 18-for-26.

They won despite the Big Ten’s No.1 shooting team jumping out to a quick nine-point lead on three treys. Trailing 16-4 in the first half, Calhoun’s club went on a 12-1 run to go up 19-16 with over seven minutes left, never relinquishing the lead.

Their aggressive D limited the Hoosiers to 37.1 percent overall and just 27.6 pct in the first half.

This was a very good win for the Huskies who clearly are improving. They recently beat No.13 Marquette by 16. This could be a dangerous team come March. Especially with the solid mix of guards and inside presence.

One thing is certain. Don’t bet against Calhoun. He might be a little arrogant but the guy knows how to win. I don’t think I’d want to see them in my bracket come tournament time.

Today’s edition comes courtesy of U2. I figured it’s about damn time I featured one of their great songs from yesteryear when the Irish band ripped it up.

While albums such as Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby drew plenty of notoriety for their originality and creativity producing many hits such as “Where The Streets Have No Name,” ”I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” “With Or Without You,” “Bullet Blue Sky,” “Mysterious Ways,” and “One,” what’s forgotten is that older albums such as The War Album and The Unforgettable Fire were tremendous in their own right with very distinct sounding songs.

Forget about big hit “Sunday Bloody Sunday” for a minute. As great as it is, there’s plenty of other underappreciated songs which fly under the radar including “Bad,” “Forty,” “The Unforgettable Fire,” and “Party Girl.”

This is what separates U2 from many bands is their variety. Sure. They’ve opened eyes by going against their distinct sound at times but anyone who has their most recent How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb knows that they returned to that unique sound with songs such as “City of Blinding Lights” and “Miracle Drug.” These two got lost in the shuffle of the overhyped “Vertigo” which was originally written some two decades ago but never put to use until a few years ago.

Truthfully, it’s not a bad song. However, between how overplayed it was and the ridiculous Super Bowl hype it got, it became annoying. For some unknown reason, radio stations think it’s cool to keep overplaying the same stuff. Why not show a little gusto and play some of the other songs from what essentially was U2’s best work since Achtung Baby? That btw is what’s wrong with music today.

Nobody has balls.

In any event, today’s feature is the one of a kind patriotic tune, “New Year’s Day.” It’s been played a lot and really is a wonderful song. Definitely one of their best.

So, sit back, relax and enjoy this cool video which really works if you feel Bono’s lyrics.

U2: “New Year’s Day“ 

If there was one word to describe Maria Sharapova’s performance during her impressive 2008 run down under, it would be poise. That’s exactly what the 20 year-old Russian was in defeating fourth seeded Siberian Ana Ivanovic 7-5, 6-3 before a capacity crowd at Rod Laver Arena Saturday afternoon in Melbourne Park- capturing her first Australian Open.

All tournament, the fifth seed had played well under pressure and delivered in big spots due to her much improved big serve and penetrating groundstrokes which had more bite in large part to improved fitness. That was on display against her feisty opponent when an opening set she controlled suddenly was about to get away.

Having played splendidly throughout much of the first set, it was an aggressive Sharapova who jumped out to a 4-3 break lead. Up till that point, she hadn’t lost a point on her serve but it proved to be a problem in the eighth game. Suddenly unable to find the range, she double faulted three times including one bad miss to donate her opponent the break back.   

Finally with some momentum, Ivanovic supported the break with a strong hold for 5-4. When a winner and a Sharapova miscue led to a 0-30 lead in the 10th game, an emotional 20 year-old Serb let out a big roar of approval as she was only two points from the set. That’s when her inexperience showed as she tried a low percentage backhand drop shot which netted on the next crucial point allowing Sharapova off the hook.

From there, the resilient Russian regained her composure taking the next three points for a big hold and then carried fourth the momentum by breaking Ivanovic and then serving out the seesaw 49-minute set to pull within a set of the title.

If she was going to take the second set and win her third career slam, it wasn’t going to be easy as Ivanovic battled through a tough opening service game to hold. With Sharapova giving away little on her serves, the two Eastern European women held for three apiece in the set.

That’s when the more powerful Russian took control breaking Ivanovic in the seventh game. Striking the ball with great authority and moving around the court more flawlessly than in a disappointing 2007 which produced no majors, Sharapova took control of points early and drew 33 unforced errors from Ivanovic who was in her second slam final (first since a straight set defeat to Justine Henin at last year’s French Open).

If there was a noticeable difference, it was that Sharapova was keeping more balls in which explained a very manageable 15 unforced errors- 18 fewer than her opponent.

Following a firm hold in which permitted just one point to the receiver on a backhand return winner down the line, the fifth seeded woman who already had beaten Henin in the quarters and Jelena Jankovic in the semis went for the kill. When an inside out forehand down the line setup three championship points, it was just a matter of time. After Ivanovic fought off the first couple, a deep Sharapova backhand approach forced a miss way wide allowing the Russian to drop to her feet in triumph.

Well deserved for the 20 year-old who during a well thought out victory speech, reminded Tennis Australia that she wasn’t all that close to prevailing over Serena Williams in last year’s final.

She also pointed out how tough last year was for her entire team due to the loss of Jane Joyce- her coach Michael Joyce’s Mom. The well thought out Russian was very soft spoken and dedicated her third slam and first Australian Open title to her. A very nice touch by a champion who really played tremendous tennis through the two weeks in not dropping a set.

“If someone had told me in the middle of last year that I would be standing in the middle of this tennis court holding the big one, I would have said get out of here,” the 2008 champion said while holding up her first Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.

 “I want to dedicate this win to her because after the loss (Joyce) suffered, I got a whole lot of perspective with my injuries and setbacks. It helped me priorize so many things that were outside of tennis,” Sharapova acknowledged to the Associated Press after winning 24 of 27 points (89 percent) on her first serve while also converting four of nine break chances to only one of two for Ivanovic.

She even used a quote from a text message she received from tennis legend Billie Jean King that “Champions take chances and pressure is a privilege.”

“I took mine,” she added.

Though she lost, Ivanovic was extremely appreciative for all the support she got throughout.

“I’m very emotional and you guys made it a very special experience for me,” she tearfully said.

Ironically, Ivanovic wished her uncle a happy birthday. He wasn’t the only one celebrating as Sharapova’s mother Yelena also was as well back home.

“With this big fat check, I’m going to send you a bunch of roses,” she said while smiling and drawing chuckles from the crowd. “Last year I lost on her birthday and this year I said I’m going to make it up to her, and I did.” 

Men’s final set for Sunday night: The Australian Open men’s final will pit No.3 seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic against 22 year-old unseeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga tomorrow night (3:30 AM ET/12:30 PT, ESPN2).

Both men will be seeking their first career slam.

“It means a lot to see some new faces in the finals,” Djokovic pointed out after besting world No.1 Roger Federer a night before impressively in straight sets.

“The dominance of Federer and [Rafael] Nadal was just amazing the last couple of years. So I think it’s great for tennis lovers all around the world to see something new.”

While the road has been easier for the 20 year-old Serbian having not dropped a set, it’s been more challenging for his 22 year-old unseeded opponent.

“I knew that I could play … but my body was not ready,” Tsonga expressed. “Now it is ready, so I do it.”

During his two-week run down under, the powerful Frenchman whose drawn comparisons to Muhammad Ali has eliminated No.9 Andy Murray, No.8 Richard Gasquet, No.14 Mikhail Youzhny and impressively routed No.2 Spaniard Nadal to reach his first ever slam final.

There’s little doubt who the pressure will be on.

“Looking at the rankings, I will be the favorite,” Djokovic admitted of his No.38 ranked opponent. “But it’s the finals, and anything can happen.“ 

Just call it the Serbian Open. With three Serbs on both sides of the draw making the semis and now two advancing to each final, the 2008 Australian Open has officially been taken over by Serbia. So maybe it wasn’t a big shock that third seeded Novak Djokovic exacted a measure of revenge on the world’s best player Roger Federer with a semifinal upset earlier today in Melbourne- halting the Swiss Maestro’s 10 consecutive grand slam final appearances. 

That the 20 year-old emerging star avenged his 2007 U.S. Open Final loss by eliminating Federer in the same straight sets was a surprise. That’s exactly how it went down at Rod Laver Arena where he fought back from 3-5 down in the opening set to earn a 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (5) huge victory over the 12-time slam champion whose chase of American Pete Sampras’ 14 slams was put on hold.  “There’s some sort of a disappointment. But, you know, from the spirit, the way I fought, the way I tried, it’s all I could give, you know,” the disappointed three-time Australian Open winner lamented to the Associated Press at a postmatch press conference. “When you give a hundred per cent, you know, you’re sort of happy with your performance.”  

“It can’t always go your way. I know that. I’ve won, many, many times when I didn’t expect myself to win. So tonight’s one of those nights where you’re a little bit disappointed. But it’s going to go over and I’m going to look forward to the rest of the year.”  

 

For one thing, it sure makes this tennis year exciting. In terms of giving the men’s game some extra juice, this is exactly what the sport needed. An up and comer like Djokovic who hits the ball extremely hard, backs up a solid serve and is poised to finally breakthrough at a slam.

  “I am just very amazed I coped with the pressure today,” the very pumped up Serbian expressed as he gets ready for the surprise of the tournament, unseeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga tomorrow.  

 

“In the most important moments, I played my best tennis. It’s just amazing, indescribable, to beat the No. 1 player of the world, one of the best players this sport has ever had, in straight sets.”  

 

The turning point of the match was when he broke Federer at 4-5 in the opening set coming back to take the final four games and capture the set. Amazingly, he would run off nine of the next 10 games building a commanding one set double break 5-1 lead before the 26 year-old from Switzlerland started to play better and forced Djokovic to serve out the second set.  “We all know if I would have served it out the match would have been a bit different,” Federer pointed out. “Sure, he could have come back and still beaten me, but circumstances of would have been different. He wouldn’t have played that freely in the second set.”  

 

“He usually doesn’t play that well. That was unfortunate for me. You know, I paid the price twice, not only losing the set, but also the second set. You know, I missed many opportunities the third set.”  

 

“But, like I said, he came up with some great shots, some great serves, and, you know, saved himself that way.” Djokovic outslugged Federer from the baseline finishing with 50 winners- 12 better than the two-time defending champion. He also was able to draw an uncharacteristic 32 unforced errors from The Federer Express. So while he did commit the same amount of errors, he clearly went for more and did a better job converting his opportunities even outacing the popular champ 13-10. 

“Well, yes, that was one of the positive facts, I think, in tonight’s match, I was able to deal with the pressure in the best possible way,” Djokovic noted after converting four of 11 break chances to his opponent’s two for nine. “And if you do that against the best player in the world, you know, you should get the positive outcome, which resulted of course with the win tonight.”  

 

“I’m very happy that in crucial moments my serve was serving me, and it was probably my best element in the game tonight in the important moments. So it is a positive thing for the future.”  

 

“I think he made the more important points today, it was a bit unfortunate for me,” said Federer. “There is no doubt I have played better before.”

Maybe the fact that he lost in straights for the first time since the 2004 French Open to former champ Gustavo Kuerten was what surprised so many. He has spoiled the tennis world with all of his success that we expect him to win these important matches. Then when someone like Djokovic comes around and beats him soundly, it certainly is eye opening. Federer had a perfect quote which summed up the disappointing loss quite well: 

 

“I’ve created a monster that I need to win every tournament. “Still, the semifinals isn’t bad.”

For now, Djokovic versus Tsonga will have to do for all the marbles tomorrow in the men’s final. Either way, there shall be a first-time slam winner. Something which is very good for the sport and should make the next 11 months interesting.

Federer will be back. It should be a great year.

Sharapova-Ivanovic battle for women’s title tonight: It will be an all Eastern European women’s final later tonight when fifth seeded Russian Maria Sharapova gets ready to take on fourth seeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic on ESPN2 at 9:30 ET/6:30 PT.

Both 20 year-old women have impressively reached the final seeking their first Aussie Open title. Sharapova ousted top seed Justine Henin in straight sets and injurd third seeded Jelena Jankovic also in straights to get here. It will be her second consecutive Australian Open Final as she looks to take that big step trying to avoid another disappointing result like last year’s blowout loss to 2007 winner Serena Williams.

Meanwhile, Ivanovic is seeking her first career slam after eliminating Venus Williams in straight sets and coming back to defeat ninth seeded Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach her second slam final. She lost to Henin at last year’s French.

It will be a battle of 20 year-olds as Sharapova aims for her third different slam while Ivanovic goes for No.1.