Novak Djokovic won a record fourth Shanghai Masters title with a 6-3, 6-4 win over 13th-seeded Borna Coric on Sunday.
Shanghai has been a happy hunting ground for Djokovic having won all four Shanghai finals he’s contested in his career (2012, 2013, 2015 and 2018). He previously shared the record of winning three Shanghai titles with Andy Murray.
“Maybe I was Chinese in the past life,” Djokovic said, smiling, in explaining his impressive record in the country. “I wouldn’t be surprised, to be honest, with the way I feel here and the way I communicate and have relationship with the people.
“It’s all very, very positive, for more than 10 years that I have been coming to China. There is something special about this place that makes me feel like at home.”
Djokovic didn’t offer his Croatian opponent a single break point in what was yet another match of serving domination.
The 31-year-old won the title without dropping a single game off his own racquet – making it 49 unblemished games across the tournament.
The Serb grabbed the opening set with a hold to love, having dropped just four points on his serve overall.
Coric, who collected one of the biggest wins of his career by defeating Federer in the semi-finals, looked far from his best in his first ATP Masters final as he dropped his serve in the opening game of the second set.
The end when it inevitably arrived was anti-climactic, with the Serb winning the championship point after a video review.
Djokovic will leapfrog Roger Federer into second in the world when the rankings are released on Monday but will not stop there as the season reaches its climax.
Spanish great Nadal, who was not in Shanghai or Beijing last week because of a knee injury, will be just 215 points ahead of Djokovic in the race to finish as year-end number one.
“I could not ask for a better scenario,” Djokovic, who last sat atop the rankings two years ago, said of his late surge to the summit of men’s tennis.
“I am very close now to Nadal in the rankings and put myself in a good position for the last period of the year.”
In other news, Juan Martin del Potro is set to miss the rest of the season after it was revealed the giant Argentine had fractured his knee at the Shanghai Masters.
“It’s a very difficult moment. I feel very sad,” said the 30-year-old world number four who is walking with his leg in a splint after doctors confirmed he had fractured the patella bone in his right knee.
“It’s a hard blow which leaves me without any strength. It’s very difficult for me to think about recovery again. I did not expect this to happen.”
Del Potro looked to have his injuries behind him and was in great form making the U.S Open final earlier this year but it seems he will have to draw on his trademark determination to get back to his best yet again after this injury.
He had been set to complete his year at the elite eight-man ATP World Tour Finals in London from November 11 after qualifying for the season-ending showpiece for the first time since 2013.
