Paris Masters: Djokovic makes it three in a row with his 40th title

It was in Paris that one of the hardest working men in tennis, the head-down, no-nonsense, scurrying 30-year-old David Ferrer, won his first Masters title a year ago.

In 2012, though, the tournament was missing Rafael Nadal for the third consecutive year, Roger Federer had withdraw the day before the event, Novak Djokovic lost in his first match and Andy Murray in his second. Ferrer beat his highest-ranked opponent in the quarters, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and would not face another seed on his way to victory.

This year, the task was altogether tougher. For a start, he was trying to do what no man had done in Paris before, win back-to-back titles there.

Then the best of the best made it all the way through the draw to the quarters, the last eight being the same eight who would meet days later at the ATP World Tour Finals.

But this had proved to be yet another outstanding year for the Spaniard: He was ranked at a career high and reached his first ever Grand Slam final at Roland Garros. And in Paris, he beat No15 Gilles Simon, then No6 Tomas Berdych and, against the prediction of most pundits, took out top seed Nadal in quite scintillating style in the semis.

But if he was to retain the Paris title, he had to beat the top two men in the world on consecutive days, for the final held Djokovic.

He, too, had found great form to come back from a set and a break down against a resurgent Federer, and was aiming to become only the 15th player in the Open era to win 40 career titles.

The Serb was undoubtedly in top-flight form, and showing every intention not just of retaining his World Tour Finals title but of snatching the No1 ranking before the year’s end. He was on a 15 match-winning streak, with back-to-back titles from Beijing and Shanghai, and with Nadal out in the semis, Djokovic’s claim on that No1 began to look more than just theoretical.

But Ferrer had just as much intention of retaining his Paris title, and he opened at full steam, just as he had against Nadal. He broke in the fifth game, playing the deftest of drop shots after the longest rally of the tournament, a probing baseline exchange of 36 shots.

Ferrer then fended off a break point to consolidate at 4-2, and served for the set at 5-4. It was becoming clear how Ferrer had scored two of his rare wins over the Serb in their previous two indoor meetings: He played with pace, precision and angle—and of course non-stop chasing.

But Djokovic hit him hard to break with a cracking down-the-line forehand winner, played his strongest service game thus far, and then broke again for the 7-5 set.

Ferrer is a resilient player, one who turns a blind eye to such gut-wrenching disappointment, and he set about doing just the same in the second set as the first.

He broke in the first game, fought off a break point, and found himself, just as before, serving for the set at 5-4.

The parallels were remarkable: Djokovic did precisely the same—broke, held and broke again for the match, 7-5. It had been a clear-headed and ruthless display from the Serb, with 34 winners to Ferrer’s 15, and surely even Ferrer was gutted at coming so close but remaining so far from what would have been the tournament run of his career.

Even so, he saw the positives: “I think it was a really good match, really good rallies. I play maybe better than yesterday, and I lost.

“[But] I am happy with my game, because the last few tournaments I played well. Now I want to relax and be with my team, and tomorrow I travel to London for the last tournament of the season.”

If there remained any question mark over the battling Ferrer, it was perhaps his right shoulder, which was covered in supportive taping for the match—the impact of such a full-blooded and aggressive effort over the course of three tough matches on consecutive days, perhaps.

Djokovic became just the third active player to join the 40-title club—Federer and Nadal are the others—and it took him to his 16th Masters title, only one short of Andre Agassi. He made no bones about the level of his game: He currently bristles with confidence:

“I am definitely playing the best tennis this year now. I’m playing on a very high level and have lots of confidence in myself, in my game.”

The last two combatants in Paris will have precious little time to prepare for their London campaigns, where both open with repeats of this week’s semis. It’s hard to see Ferrer repeating his victory over Nadal, but Djokovic looks ready to beat anyone.