Australian Open 2008 has been the tournament that has signalled the changing of the guard at the top of tennis.
In both the men's and women's events, young players have risen to the fore and displaced their older, more experienced and more fancied opponents.
For the first time in nearly three years, World No.1 Roger Federer failed to take his place in a men's major final. On the women's side, Justine Henin and the Williams sisters were unable to get past the quarterfinals - the last time this dominant trio all fell before the semifinals came back at the 2005 US Open.
Into their place have marched an army of confident, precocious talents challenging for tennis' biggest prizes.
Apart from Federer, the three other men in the semifinals of AO08 had an average age of just 21.
The youngest of those, Novak Djokovic, was responsible for ousting Federer - in straight sets.
It seems the new brigade of young world-beaters have made their way to the top because of their refusal to be intimidated by their more credentialed rivals.
Djokovic has made clear his desire to displace the Swiss star at the top of the men's rankings, and when he took to the court in the second night semifinal on Day 12, the 20-year-old Serbian played like he seriously believes he will be the world's best in the near future.
In tense, pressure-packed situations during the match, it was Djokovic who stepped up and went for his shots, while Federer - normally the one pressing the issue at such moments - was committing uncharacteristic errors.
Rafael Nadal is another who has never been intimidated by Federer's aura, smacking the World No.1 off the court in the 2006 and 2007 French Open finals and even taking their 2007 Wimbledon final to five tight sets on a court Federer would consider his own.
While fellow top-tenners Richard Gasquet and Andy Murray have yet to make such a heavy impact on the tour, the two youngsters have already tackled and beaten more experienced opposition on the game's biggest stage.
Gasquet famously bundled Andy Roddick out of the Wimbledon quarterfinals last year after being two-sets-to-love and a break down, while Murray has already claimed a number of high-profile scalps in his short career.
The crop of young-guns taking the game by storm is being reflected in the rankings.
The current average age of the ATP Tour's Top 10 is 23, one of the youngest Top 10's in the history of the game.
The women's top 10 - also with an average age of 23 - reads as a direct reflection of the new generation of young tennis stars.
The world's 10 best have injected new-found excitement into a game once known for its pure white tennis outfits and quiet, polite crowds.
Australian Open fans were lucky enough to see a semi-finals draw full of fresh, hard-hitting young women in 2008, and they came to Melbourne Park with nothing to lose.
Jelena Jankovic put on a show in her match, showcasing a new brand of tennis where style and power converge.
The women's final was a much-anticipated match up between glamour girl Maria Sharapova and popular young Serbian Ana Ivanovic, and the 20-year-olds and have achieved so much in their short careers.
Despite looking unstoppable on her path to tournament victory, Sharapova admits her young age means she is yet to reach peak performance.
"I know I keep saying this, but I don't think I'm at the peak of my career yet. I don't think my body has 100% developed into its own. I've got many more things to learn, you know, in my tennis, and many things to build and improve," she said.
While the age-old debate about equal pay for women's and men's tours was dragged about once more this year, public interest has never been so important for the status of women's tennis.
And public interest is exactly what these young-guns are generating as they invite a new generation of tennis fans to the game.
