* His mother was a professional skier and cherished his son tobe a skier or professional soccer player but changed his mindwhen Djokovic excelled at tennis from an early age.
* First full year on tour in 2005, made grand slam debut as aqualifier at the Australian Open, losing to Marat Safin in thefirst round. finished as the youngest player (18 years, fivemonths) inside the top 100.
By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE |Sat Jan 15, 2011 10:58pm EST
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Once resembling a hare in the headlights of a nation`s expectations, a more assured Sam Stosur says she is glad to be the standard-bearer for Australia`s hopes for a first home grand slam champion in more than three decades.
Rafael Nadal has admitted he is still struggling with the fitness issues that plagued him in Qatar ahead of next week's Australian Open.
Nadal can go but the third man and the beginning since Rod Laver in 1969 to defy all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously when his Open campaign kicks off at Melbourne Park next week.
He already holds the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open crowns following a spectacular 2010 that also saw him find the worldwide number one ranking from Roger Federer.
Roger Federer insists he is in top condition as he bids for a fifth Australian Open championship at Melbourne Park this week.
The 16-time Grand Slam champion enjoyed a brilliant run of form towards the end of last year, culminating with a virtuoso display in the ATP World Tour Finals where he defeated world No.1 Rafael Nadal in the final.
