Djokovic Primed to Continue Winning Ways in Paris

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Djokovic Primed to Continue Winning Ways in Paris

Last we saw Novak Djokovic he was hitting the fuzz off the ball in China, finishing up his annual Asian run of dominance with back-to-back titles in Beijing and Shanghai and stretching his latest (ho-hum/yawn) winning streak to 17.

Paris Masters on Tap: See the Complete 2015 Paris Masters Draw Here

Djokovic won all ten matches he played in China without dropping a set, and the World No. 1 will now set his sights on Europe, with this week’s Paris Masters and mid-November’s World Tour Finals still to play.

The Serb says finding motivation to keep grinding into the season’s 11th month is not a problem for him. In a pre-tournament presser in Paris he once again reiterated that he feels 2015 is his best season to date, and there’s no reason for him to stop the party now.

''As the No. 1 in the world and defending champion there is an extra responsibility to do well. People watch you play, pay for their tickets,” he said.

Djokovic says that the balance he is currently achieving in his professional and personal life is what allows him to stay fresh and eager for each new challenge. ''It has a lot to do with your mindset. In terms of the mental part it's just being able to find new ways of motivating yourself,'' he said. ''What allows me to play well consistently in these parts of the season is that, when the Grand Slams are over, I still value the Masters events. It doesn't make too much difference to me stepping on the court for a Grand Slam final or the Paris Bercy final.''

In Paris, Djokovic will bid for his third straight title by facing either Teymuraz Gabashvili or Thomaz Bellucci in the opening round. He could face either Benoit Paire, Gilles Simon or Gael Monfils in the third round, and if the seeds hold, either Tomas Berdych or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals.

Rafael Nadal or Stan Wawrinka would be Djokovic’s semifinal opponent if the seeds hold. Nadal and Wawrinka are slated to face each other in the quarterfinals. Fourth-seeded Wawrinka will face either Bernard Tomic or Fabio Fognini in the second-round after a bye, while 7th-seeded Nadal will face either Guillermo Garcia-lopez or Lukas Rosol after his bye.

In the bottom half of the draw, second-seeded Andy Murray will open with either Borna Coric or Fernando Verdasco after his bye, and is slated to face Kei Nishikori if the seeds hold.

Third-seeded Roger Federer will open with Pablo Cuevas or Andreas Seppi and would face 8th-seeded David Ferrer in the quarterfinals if the seeds hold.

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