Novak Djokovic cruises to fifth Paris Masters title

Nov 04, 2019 06:00 am

Novak Djokovic eased to a record-extending fifth Paris Masters title by brushing aside Canadian youngster Denis Shapovalov in last night's final, boosting his hopes of taking the year-end world No. 1 spot.

The top seed claimed a dominant 6-3, 6-4 victory over his 20-year-old opponent, who looked nervous after being the beneficiary of Rafael Nadal's withdrawal due to an abdominal injury before their scheduled semi-final.

Djokovic will lose top spot to Nadal when the rankings are updated this week.

But the Serb, 32, could still equal Pete Sampras' record by finishing a sixth year as the world's best player, as Nadal's latest problem has put his participation at both the Nov 10-17 ATP Finals and the Nov 18-24 Davis Cup in doubt.

The 33-year-old Spaniard faces a race against time to be fit and has returned to Mallorca to recuperate. - REUTERS