Novak Djokovic hasn’t yet reached the top spot in men’s tennis, but during a meaningful week in Miami, a young man is making an attempt to restore what he so quickly lost.

Djokovic battled into the semifinals of the Sony Ericsson Open with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The match doesn’t quite make this tournament a success for Djokovic, but it does propel the No. 3 seed into Friday’s semifinals against Roger Federer. With a big weekend of top-flight performances, a career that’s hit some speed bumps could regain much-needed momentum as the clay season awaits.

For perspective on the Djokovic journey, one must return to the end of January in 2008.

One year ago, Novak Djokovic’s tennis life was proceeding according to plan. The early months of 2008 witnessed the Serbian superstar make a push for the No. 1 ranking he had so deeply coveted. At a time when Federer still stood atop the ATP Tour, Djokovic’s semifinal takedown of the Swiss legend in that year’s Australian Open signaled a moment in which Djokovic could expect to compete with Federer on very even terms. When Djokovic then took down Tsonga in the championship match, the burden of having to win a first Grand Slam title lifted from the Serb’s shoulders. As the months passed and winter turned into springtime, Djokovic nipped at the heels of Rafael Nadal for the world No. 2 ranking, proof of a steady upward march fueled by confident and decisive play. Djokovic couldn’t have complained with the way his career was unfolding.

Then, however, Nadal put his foot down.

With the No. 2 ranking on the line, the Spaniard whipped Djokovic in the French Open semifinals. Ironically, Nadal’s ability to protect his number two position didn’t just keep Djokovic at No. 3; it enabled Rafa to find an even higher level of confidence and dethrone Federer at Wimbledon. By mid-August of 2008, it was Nadal–not Djokovic–who had become the new king of the courts by finally attaining the top ranking Federer had held without interruption since 2004. The upside-down nature of the situation couldn’t have been lost on Djokovic: Just when he was making a run at Federer for No. 1, he had to watch Nadal beat him to the punch. Nadal’s rise, combined with Federer’s U.S Open title and the emergence of world No. 4 Andy Murray, left Djokovic out of the spotlight. Yes, a Masters Cup title closed 2008 on a high note, but as 2009 dawned, Djokovic was seen as the fourth-best player in men’s tennis. Most mortals would kill for that kind of distinction, but for a hungry competitor such as Djokovic, the label represented a steep decline in fortune that only continued as the 2009 season started.

If Djokovic was the fourth-best player on tour at the beginning of the year, recent results have suggested he’s in a nosedive at number five. Andy Roddick outlasted an unfit Djokovic in the Australian Open quarterfinals, and then hammered the Serb in straight sets two weeks ago at Indian Wells. When Djokovic came to Miami, everything about this 21-year-old’s game needed retooling. Confidence, clarity, aggressiveness, shotmaking, energy, court coverage–you name it, Djokovic needed to improve on it.

By beating Tsonga, a player graced with dynamic athleticism and imposing power, Djokovic earned the kind of scalp that suggests that a native confidence still resides in a spirited tennis soul. The player who soared so high in the first half of 2008, but then seemed to collapse under the weight of increasing expectations, could be using a week in South Florida to stage another surge to the upper reaches of men’s tennis. Djokovic’s renewed pursuit for No. 1 will take a good long while, given the way Nadal’s playing, but if the Serb can foil Federer in the semis and then conquer Key Biscayne in Sunday’s final, he’ll have made a very powerful statement to all his rivals, a statement announcing his return to full form.

Novak Djokovic hasn’t broken through in Miami, but by stopping Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a bright light in the tennis cosmos has at least given himself a chance to battle with the big boys on a very intriguing weekend.

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