Djokovic beat Roger Federer in the semifinals of the 2008 Australian Open before winning his first major title. The third-seeded Serb defeated the defending champion and world No. 1 in straight sets, 7–5, 6–3, 7–6(5), at Melbourne Park.
The victory was a major breakthrough because Federer had won the Australian Open in 2006 and 2007 and had not lost a set at the tournament in either title run. Djokovic’s semifinal performance made him the first player to defeat Federer at the Australian Open since Marat Safin in the 2005 semifinals.
Djokovic then faced surprise finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the championship match. He recovered from losing the opening set to win 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–6(2), becoming the first Serbian man to capture a Grand Slam singles title.
The most likely confusion is the final rather than the semifinal: Tsonga was Djokovic’s opponent in the final, while Federer was the celebrated semifinal victim. Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal were not Djokovic’s opponents in that semifinal.