Djokovic aiming to end golden year with a bang

World number one Novak Djokovic of Serbia arrives to play against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland in their men's singles semi-final tennis match at the Paris Masters tennis tournament at the Bercy sports hall in Paris, France - Reuters

Reuters: With three of the four grand slam titles and a record six Masters Series crowns scooped up in a year of domination, Novak Djokovic could be forgiven for using the ATP Tour Finals in London as a well-earned lap of honour.

Not a bit of it. The 28-year-old world number one’s appetite for stomping all over his supposed rivals is insatiable.

Serbian Djokovic will start as overwhelming favourite to claim a fourth consecutive title at the year-ender, having won 14 matches in a row at the Thames-side venue where last year ended in anti-climactic fashion as Roger Federer withdrew from their showdown with a back injury.

The numbers Djokovic has compiled this year surpass even his dominant 2011 campaign when he also won three majors.

He will arrive with a 78-5 win/loss record and on a 22-match winning streak, stretching back to his defeat by Federer in the Cincinnati final in August.

He has owned the number one ranking since July 2014 and he will end the year there for a fourth time -- the same as John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl.

“In terms of the grand slams, this has been a better season than 2011,” Djokovic, who would have won all four but for an inspired Stanislas Wawrinka in the French Open final, said in an interview with Sport Magazine.

“It’s about the overall feeling of my game – the way I play and the way I feel on the court. I’m a more complete player physically; technically I’ve improved since 2011, and mentally I’m more stable.”

Worryingly, no one seems to have a clue how to stop him.