Story highlights
Novak Djokovic wins Shanghai Masters
Beats Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final
6-2 6-4 victory in 78 minutes
Extends record to 73-5 in 2015
Can anyone stop Novak Djokovic on his triumphant unbeaten finale to the 2015 season?
Not world number two Andy Murray, swept aside in the semifinal of the Shanghai Masters, nor Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, clinically dispatched in the title match Sunday by the unstoppable Serb.
World number one Djokovic won 6-2 6-4 in just 78 minutes for his ninth tournament victory of the year, including three grand slams.
It took his run of consecutive wins to 17, capturing 22 consecutive sets with two titles coming in successive weeks in China, his favorite hunting ground where he is now a remarkable 10-0 in ATP Tour finals.
It was his 25th Masters 1000 title, two short of the overall record held by Rafael Nadal, who succumbed to Tsonga in the semifinal in Shanghai. Consolation for Spain’s Nadal came with confirmation that both he and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic had qualified for the season ending ATP World Tour Finals in London next month, where Djokovic defends the title.
With a win-defeat record of 73-5, Djokovic is rapidly surpassing his stunning achievements of 2011 and the ATP World Tour used its social media page to pose the entirely legitimate question: Is Novak in the midst of the greatest season ever on the ATP World Tour?
The statistics would point to that and Tsonga was always struggling to buck the trend after dropping his service in the opening set and soon falling a double break down to trail 0-3
Djokovic’s only lapse of the match saw the ninth-ranked Tsonga break back, but he still wrapped up the set in double quick time and a single break in the ninth game of the second set was enough to secure victory.
“Generally I felt always in control of the match. I felt like I’ve done everything right. I’ve won many of my service games very comfortably. I didn’t allow him to get into the rhythm, get into the match. Today’s match, and overall the tournament, it’s gone incredibly well for me,” Djokovic told the official ATP Tour website.
Tsonga, who is coming back to his best after injury setbacks, did his chances of clinching a place in the ATP World Tour Finals next month a power of good.
“I’m very satisfied. To come back at your best level, it’s always a long process. I’m happy today to be back really close to the Top 10. Like I said just before, it gave me energy to continue to work hard and try to achieve other good things,” he said.
Djokovic, who hit 18 winners, has gone past the 14,000 point mark for the season with his third Shanghai title in four years and his 57th overall on the ATP Tour.
Read: Nadal succumbs to Djokovic in China final
On the WTA Tour, former world number one Jelena Jankovic took the Hong Kong Open as she beat Germany’s Angelique Kerber 3-6 7-6 6-1 in a thrilling final.
Serbia’s Jankovic knocked out American Venus Williams in the semifinal and had to battle for nearly two and a half hours to see off Kerber to take the title.