Novak Djokovic is looking for his third Shanghai Masters title as the world number one prepares to face Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the finals on Sunday.
Both the players come into the final after having played some great tennis in the 2015 Shanghai Masters. There is a huge contrast in the manner in which Djokovic and Tsonga have reached the Shanghai Masters final.
Djokovic has not dropped a single set in the competition, which includes a thumping semi-final win over Andy Murray, who was demolished 6-1, 6-3 to reach the final. Djokovic considered his victory over Murray as his best match of the tournament.
"It's the best match of the tournament at the right time against a player who was in form and one of my biggest rivals," ATP official website quoted Djokovic as saying.
"He's a player I lost to a couple months ago in the Montreal final. Obviously there was a lot at stake. Whenever we play against each other, it's always exciting. It's always a huge challenge. But I was ready. I came in from the very first point with the right intensity, played great, on a very high level."
Meanwhile, Djokovic's opponent for the final, Tsonga had to win four out of his five matches in the deciding set, which reflects a lot about the Frenchman's character.
Tsonga will be a confident player when he squares off against Djokovic in the final after his impressive performance against Rafael Nadal in the semi-final, which the Frenchman won 6-4, 0-6, 7-5.
Such a high quality performance against Nadal, who had been solid in the competition, will give Tsonga the much needed boost ahead of the finals especially considering Djokovic's amazing head-to-head record against him. Tsonga has lost 13 times in his career against the Serbian and only emerged triumphant six times.
The Serbian, who has a powerful game from the baseline, is aware of the task at hand as the big Frenchman can turn up the heat with his big booming serves. The Frenchman needs to apply pressure on the top seed through his serves, which could prove to be the difference between a title and a runner-up finish.
"He's (Tsonga) a very enthusiastic player. He feeds on the energy of the crowd a lot. He's very powerful, big serve," said Djokovic. "I think his game heavily relies on the serve. If he has a high first‑serve percentage, he's managing to get some free points there. Then he's dangerous."
Where to watch live
Novak Djokovic vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Shanghai Masters final is scheduled for 4:30pm local time (2pm IST, 9:30am BST, 4:30am ET). Viewers in India can enjoy Novak Djokovic vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga final live on Ten Sports, with the live stream option on Ten Sports Live.
Viewers in the UK can watch theNovak Djokovic vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Shanghai Masters final on Sky Sports 3/HD with live streaming on Sky Go.
Viewers in the US have the luxury of watching the Shanghai Masters final live on Tennis Channel with the option of going online on Tennis Channel Online.
Viewers around the world can stream the Novak Djokovic vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga final live on Tennis tv.
