Djokovic targets year-ender hat trick

PARIS - Agence France-Presse

Serbian Novak Djokovic will meet Swiss legend Roger Federer.

Paris Masters champion Novak Djokovic is braced for a triple quickfire challenge of winning the World Tour Finals, the Davis Cup and finishing the year as world number one.

The 26-year-old produced some of his best tennis to defeat Spaniard David Ferrer 7-5, 7-5 in Sunday’s final in the French capital as he won not only his third ATP title in a row, but extended his winning streak to 17 matches. 

The Australian Open champion, and six-time Grand Slam title winner, is pooled with his Paris semi-final victim Roger Federer as well as Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro and Frenchman Richard Gasquet at the World Tour Finals in London, but has only 48 hours to recover before his opening match against the Swiss legend tomorrow. 

Djokovic claimed his 40th ATP title on Nov. 3 in his eighth final of a year which has seen him win over 60 matches to put him on the heels of Rafael Nadal for the world number one spot. 

“I am definitely playing the best tennis this year, including the start of the year with the Australian Open and Dubai that I had a great run,” said Djokovic.

A summer of ups and downs left behind 

“You know, summer was up and down, and now again I’m playing on a very high level and have lots of confidence in myself, in my game,” said the Serb, who added the Paris title to previous wins at Melbourne, Dubai, Monte Carlo, Beijing and Shanghai as well as reaching the final at Wimbledon and the US Open.

“You know, physically it’s very demanding, but it’s not just me that is tired and has played many matches. All of the top players have had long seasons, and you just have to try to find the strength, find a way to recuperate, recover.” 

Not only does the man, who reached three Grand Slam finals in the same year for the third straight season, have London on his mind but there is also the issue of the Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic and the world number one spot which Nadal reclaimed last month. 

“I’m at the good spot at this moment. I enjoy tennis. I enjoy competing. I have a right schedule, even though, you know, it’s going to be three weeks now in a row for me: Paris, London, and the Davis Cup final.

“Every day really matters now for me to do things properly in order to play all the matches at a high level.”