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SPORTS A21
Monday 19 October 2015
Djokovic caps successful China swing with Shanghai title
JUSTIN BERGMAN “Today, there is nothing ter on the courtside tele- ery reason Djokovic could ed — he hasn’t lost in Paris
Associated Press to say. He’s playing a lot vision camera after each finish the season undefeat- or London since 2012.q
SHANGHAI (AP) — Novak
Djokovic wore a red shirt in Novak Djokovic of Serbia gestures with his winner’s trophy after
his matches at the Shang-
hai Masters this week to he defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in the final match
connect with his Chinese
fans and perhaps give him- of the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament at Qizhong Forest
self a little boost.
“I know it’s a lucky nation- Sports City Tennis Center in Shanghai, China, Sunday, Oct. 18,
al color, so it’s my lucky
charm,” he said. 2015. Associated Press
With the way he domi-
nated, he didn’t need better than everybody,” match (“love” and “for-
any luck. Djokovic defeat- Tsonga said. “You have to tune” are two of his favor-
ed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of be in your best shape to ites) and trying some Man-
France 6-2, 6-4 to capture beat him anyway, and ev- darin in his victory speech.
the ninth title of his impres- erybody knows that it’s not “I need to work on my
sive season in Shanghai on easy to play your best ten- phrases more because
Sunday, a week after he nis every match.” I’ve been saying the same
triumphed at the China Djokovic has tradition- thing for too many years,”
Open in Beijing for the sixth ally played well during he said with a laugh.
time in six appearances. the Asian swing following But it’s not just China where
He didn’t drop a set at the U.S. Open when other he has been winning this
either tournament, only players are either nurs- year — it’s just about ev-
once being pushed to a ing injuries or tired after a erywhere.
tiebreaker, and extended long season. In terms of Among his accomplish-
his winning streak to 17 the quality of his tennis in ments, with the Paris Mas-
straight matches dating China this year, though, ters and ATP Finals in Lon-
back to his championship the Serb said he’s never don still left to play:
run at the U.S. Open. felt as confident. “I mean, — Djokovic became one
“This has been the best two only one set where I got of three men to play in all
weeks of my life, my ca- a tiebreak in two weeks is four Grand Slam finals in a
reer,” the top-ranked Serb quite incredible,” he said. single season in the Open
said. “Energy-wise, I was “So I’m very, very pleased era, joining Roger Federer
great. I didn’t get tired. I with the way I’ve played.” and Rod Laver. (Laver,
always had plenty of inten- Having a lot of fan support coincidentally, was in the
sity, concentration, a high certainly helps. His Chinese stands to watch Djokovic’s
performance level from supporters packed the sta- win on Sunday.)
the first match in Beijing to dium on Sunday with Ser- — With wins in Beijing and
today’s match.” Tsonga bia flags, and as Djokovic Shanghai, he surpassed
came into the match lead- noted earlier this week $16 million in prize money,
ing the tournament with some have even given the highest ever by a play-
64 aces, but Djokovic re- themselves Serbian names er in a single season. — He
turned so effectively that and are learning his coun- has also reached 13 con-
he broke the Frenchman try’s national anthem. secutive finals dating back
three times and held him Djokovic thanked them for to January, second only to
to zero aces in the open- their support by writing a Federer’s 17 straight finals
ing set. different Chinese charac- in 2005-06. And there’s ev-
Tsonga played more ag-
gressively in the second
set, but still had to fight
off five break points until
Djokovic was finally able to
convert on his sixth when
the Frenchman double-
faulted while serving at
4-all. Djokovic then served
out the match.
