• What the Deuce

Razor-sharp Djokovic finds perfect balance

Novak Djokovic shows off his new haircut © PA Photos

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Formula One drivers celebrate race victories by spraying champagne; footballers invent elaborate goal celebrations. How did Serbia enjoy winning the Davis Cup for the first time in their history? By shaving their heads, of course.

No sooner had Viktor Troicki hit the winning shot to clinch an historic victory, out came the hair clippers as the team fulfilled a promise they had made after their semi-final victory over Czech Republic.

"Next year in the finals, it will not be a haircut," said Janko Tipsarevic. "Next year we'll pierce something, or maybe a tattoo."

By the end of his career, Novak Djokovic could be a tattooed skinhead with nose, ear and eyebrow piercings, if he continues in his current vein. The fact that the world No. 3 hailed the triumph as the greatest moment of his career speaks volumes of his attitude to his nation and the team competition.

The nature of the Davis Cup means that no matter how talented a player you are, you cannot win the Davis Cup singlehandedly. While many of the great players have enjoyed victory in the competition, some - namely Roger Federer - have not.

It was apt that Djokovic did not play the deciding rubber - a player used to dealing with high-pressure situations, the world No. 3 would have relished his chance in the spotlight, but he is simply one part of a talented Serbian outfit.

In an inherently individual sport, Djokovic underlined his role as a team player, a fact no more evident than in his role off the court, which was just as crucial as his role on it.

Djokovic did everything that was asked of him by captain Bogdan Obradovic by winning both his singles rubbers in straight sets, but it was his role as cheerleader that proved just as critical. Having done all he could, beating Gael Monfils to level the tie, Djokovic ensured the crowd in the Belgrade Arena played its part in the victory.

"Go and have a snack and a beer and come back in 15 minutes," Djokovic told the Belgrade Arena after he kept Serbia's hopes alive. "You have to make noise to silence the French, we are at home and we have to make it count."

The Serbian crowd played its part in the victory © Getty Images

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Llodra had been unbeatable for France - enjoying a perfect record in 2010, and his run at the Paris Masters was the sign of a man in form. But he came up against a man fighting for a greater cause, and he had no answer to an inspired Troicki, who had the support of 17,000 Serbian fans behind him.

Both Troicki and Llodra were in tears - the defeated Frenchman was inconsolable, while Troicki admitted he was "without the words" to describe his emotions. "This was the greatest experience in my life," said Troicki. "I still don't believe it. I mean, probably tomorrow or in the next few days I will start feeling the emotions of winning the Davis Cup."

France were admittedly without the services of the injured Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and doubles star Julien Benneteau, but given the fervour and intensity Troicki played with on Sunday, he probably would have beaten Federer.

The world No. 30 deservedly took the plaudits, but it was a superb team effort by four players playing for a greater cause - a place in the Serbian history books - and who else but the first Serbian grand slam champion to inspire that fate?

Caught up in the intensity of the moment, Djokovic declared it was the greatest moment of his career. The nature of the triumph epitomises Djokovic's attitude to his game: it was an emotional victory, yet a clinical performance.

Well known for enjoying a joke - most recently wearing an eye patch at the ATP World Tour Finals in London after having problems with his contact lenses in his previous match - Djokovic has always been larger than life.

But a player whose mentality has often come under question once again demonstrated that he can turn it on when he needs to - and this latest triumph may carry him all the way to another Australian Open crown.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.