Wimbledon champion Djokovic gets rapturous Serb welcome

Novak Djokovic was greeted by screaming
fans as he arrived in Belgrade.

Wimbledon tennis champion Novak
Djokovic has received a rapturous
welcome in his native Serbia the day after
winning the title.
A smiling Djokovic and his team were given
an open-top bus tour from Belgrade airport
escorted by a dozen police vehicles.
Outside parliament, tens of thousands of
fans cheered as their hero raised a replica of
the famous trophy.
Djokovic, 24, beat Spain's Rafael Nadal in
Sunday's final.
"You made this day the best day of my life,"
Djokovic told the screaming crowd.
"He is the pride of Serbia and [the] Serbian
people," said one teenage girl who had
travelled some 80km (50 miles) to Belgrade
from the town of Novi Sad.
"Lucky is the mother that gave birth to such
a hard-working and gifted boy," said
onlooker Milorad Veselinovic.
Many of those gathered in Nikola Pasic
Square carried Serbian flags and banners
reading "Nole we love you" and "Nole the
king" referring to Djokovic's nickname.
Djokovic guaranteed his place as world
number one when he beat Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga in the last four at Wimbledon.
He followed up by outplaying defending
champion Nadal 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 on centre
court on Sunday.