Borg backs Johansson to stay at top

Tennis great Bjorn Borg led Swedish tributes to Thomas Johansson's astonishing Australian Open triumph on Monday and said his compatriot would now be at the top of the game for a long time.

Johansson, a 60-1 shot at the start of the tournament, beat Russian Marat Safin 3-6 6-4 6-4 7-6 in the men's singles final on Sunday.

"I'm wondering if the Swedish people really understand what an accomplishment Thomas Johansson has pulled off," Borg said in tabloid Expressen.

Borg himself won 11 Grand Slam titles, but the Australian was the one he never managed to clinch.

"Johansson is not a star that shines during two weeks in Melbourne and is then extinguished. He has come to the top to stay," Borg added. "He will be a favourite at Wimbledon."

Johansson had won a modest six tournaments before his breakthrough on Sunday propelled him up to the number one spot in the ATP Champions Race.

His father Krister Johansson told Expressen he and his wife had both cried when their son won in Melbourne.

"It takes a lot for my wife to cry, but when he won she cried right out. I've never heard that before, and we've been married since 1973."

INSPIRATION

"This is phenomenally big for Swedish tennis," said fellow player Jonas Bjorkman, who was beaten by Johansson in the quarter-finals at Melbourne.

Stefan Edberg, an Australian Open winner whose 1992 U.S. Open win was Sweden's last Grand Slam singles triumph before Johansson's, said: "Hopefully we won't have to wait another 10 years before the next Grand Slam win.

"Johansson is in a good position to win another one and I think his win could inspire (Thomas) Enqvist and all other Swedish players."

The daily Aftonbladet was among the newspapers paying tribute to Johansson and ranked him alongside tennis greats Pete Sampras, Rod Laver and Edberg, all former Australian Open winners.

"Everybody knows now that a 26-year-old from Linkoping named Thomas Johansson is the world's best tennis player right now," said daily newspaper Expressen columnist Mats Olsson said.

Aftonbladet called Johansson's win "The poor boy's revenge on the upper-class swamp".

Johansson, who comes from a modest background, came close to quitting tennis in 1994 because his parents lacked the financial means to keep him going on the tour.

Bjorkman paid tribute to the Swedish supporters in Melbourne but said he feared there would be fewer cheering for the Swedes in their Davis Cup tie against England in Birmingham next month.

"We'll have to call (England soccer coach) Sven-Goran Eriksson to get a Swede in the crowd," he said.