CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: The championship at the Shanghai Rolex Masters on Sunday features the 20^th meeting between World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and No. 16 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Djokovic holds a 13-6 FedEx ATP Head2Head record against the Frenchman, including 7-6 on hard courts. Djokovic has won two of the previous three final head-to-heads, including their last final in Beijing in 2012. Djokovic comes into his 13^th straight final on the season with winning streaks of 16 matches and 20 sets. He is attempting to win his ninth title of the season, fifth ATP Masters 1000 crown (25^th overall in career). Djokovic is 9-0 lifetime in ATP World Tour finals in China. Tsonga is chasing his 2^nd title of the year and 3^rd career ATP Masters 1000 title.  

EMIRATES ATP RACE TO LONDON UPDATE: By reaching the final Tsonga has jumped from No. 15 coming into the tournament to No. 9 in the Emirates ATP Race to London. With a title, the Frenchman will add 400 more points and move within 545 points of No. 8 David Ferrer. The Top 8 players on Nov. 9 move on to the year-end Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London, Nov. 15-22. Four players have already qualified: Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka. A maximum of 2,000 race points are on the line after the Shanghai Rolex Masters at ATP World Tour 250 events in Moscow, Stockholm and Valencia; ATP World Tour 500 events in Vienna and Basel; and ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Paris.

                                           * Qualified

EMIRATES ATP DOUBLES RACE TO LONDON UPDATE: The Top 8 teams in the Emirates ATP Doubles Race to London on Nov. 9 will qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Nov. 15-22. Two teams have already secured their spots: World No. 1 Bob and Mike Bryan and Wimbledon champions Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau. Italians Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini are in the final and will move to No. 3 if they win the title. Here is a look at the standings:

         * Qualified

BIG FOUR DOMINANCE:  The ‘Big Four’ of Djokovic, Federer, Murray and Nadal have won 46 of the last 50 ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, which dates back to Nadal’s triumph at Monte-Carlo in 2010. The only other players to emerge with an ATP Masters 1000 title are Robin Soderling (2010 Paris), David Ferrer (2011 Paris), Stan Wawrinka (2014 Monte-Carlo) and Tsonga (2014 Toronto).

STATISTICS COMPARISON: Djokovic has yet to drop a set en route to the final. Here is a look at both players’ statistics leading into the championship: (+ Leads tournament)

STAT	DJOKOVIC	TSONGA
ACES	25	64 +
1st SERVE %	68%	63%
1st SERVE POINTS WON	74%	80%
2nd SERVE POINTS WON	67% +	57%
SERVICE GAMES WON	91% (31 of 34)	90% (64 of 71)
BREAK POINTS SAVED	63% (5 of 8)	65% (13 of 20)
RETURN GAMES WON	52% (17 of 33) +	21% (15 of 70)
BREAK POINTS CONVERTED	39% (17 of 44)	33% (15 of 45)

 

NOVAK SUPERB IN CHINA: Djokovic comes into the final having won 37 of his last 38 matches in China, winning consecutive titles in Beijing and Shanghai in 2012-13 and Beijing from 2012-15. His 28-match winning streak in China ended last year when he lost to Federer in the semi-finals in Shanghai. Overall, he has won nine career titles in China (six in Beijing, three in Shanghai). He has never lost in the China Open (29-0) and is 23-3 at the Shanghai Rolex Masters (since 2009). He also went 4-4 at the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai in 2007-08, winning title in ’08. The only country in which he’s won more titles is the U.S. (11). He has never lost in a final in China (9-0).

• World No. 1 has won 16 matches and 20 sets in a row after beating Klizan 62 61, No. 15 seed Lopez 62 63 Tomic 76(6) 61 and No. 3 seed Murray 61 63. Leads tournament in return games won (17 of 33, 52%) and 2^nd serve pts. won (67%). Has held serve 31 of 34 games (91%)

• On a 37-1 run in China, including 6 combined titles at Shanghai (2012-13) and Beijing (2012-15)

• With win over Lopez on Thursday, reached 70 victories in a season for 5th time in career

• Appearing in career-high 13^th straight final since falling in Doha quarter-finals to start season (l. to Karlovic). Last player to reach 10 or more consecutive finals in a season was Federer (11 in ‘06, 17 dating bk to ‘05)

• Trying to win 5 ATP Masters 1000 titles in a season for second time in career (2011). Nadal also won five in ‘13

• Also captured titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo and Rome, moving into a tie with Federer for second all-time with 24 ATP Masters 1000 championships (Nadal 27). Appearing in 83^rd career final (56-26)

• Lost 18 games en route to Beijing title last week (d. Nadal) – lowest five-match total of career en route to a title

• With Beijing title, became first men’s player to earn more than $15 million in prize money during a season (will surpass $16 million if wins title on Sunday)

• Clinched year-end No. 1 in Emirates ATP Rankings for 4th time in last 5 years (2011-12, ’14-15) and will pass McEnroe on Nov. 2 for 5th all-time with 171 total weeks at No. 1

• Won 8th, 9th and 10th Grand Slam singles titles at Australian Open (d. Murray), Wimbledon (d. Federer) and US Open (d. Federer) respectively. Fell short of calendar Grand Slam in Roland Garros final (l. to Wawrinka)

• Became one of three players to play in all four major finals in a single year during Open Era (also Laver in 1969 and Federer in 2006, 2007 and 2009)

• Along with 2014 Paris title, won 30 straight matches at ATP Masters 1000 events before falling to Murray in Montréal final, then Federer in Cincinnati final

DJOKOVIC’S 70-WIN SEASONS

Year	W-L	Win Pct.
2015	72-5	.935
2013	74-9	.892
2012	75-12	.862
2011	70-6	.921
2009	78-19	.804

TSONGA LOOKING FOR 13^th TITLE: The 30-year-old Frenchman beat Robredo 67(5) 62 62, Estrella Burgos 63 62, [Q] Ramos-Viñolas 67(5) 75 64, No. 12 seed/No. 10-ranked Anderson 76(6) 57 64 and No. 8 seed Nadal 64 06 75 to reach his first final here. This week, he leads in aces (64) and has held serve 64 of 71 games (90%), saving 13 of 20 break points. He has broken opponents 15 times (in 70 games, 21%)

• Posted strong results at ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai in the past: 2013 semi-finals (l. to No. 2 Djokovic), 2012 quarter-finals (l. to No. 7 Berdych) and 2010 quarter-finals (l. to No. 4 Murray)

• Started season 6-5 prior to reaching Roland Garros semi-finals (d. No. 4 Berdych and No. 5 Nishikori, l. to eventual champ Wawrinka), matching best career result in Paris (also 2013 SF)

• Advanced to 2nd US Open quarter-finals of career (also 2011), not dropping serve during event until five-set loss to Cilic

• Captured 12th career title in All-French final at Metz over No. 10 Simon, becoming winningest player in event history (18 victories)

• Appearing in 22^nd career tour level final (12-9, 1-0 in 2015). Has 2-1 record in ATP Masters 1000 finals. Won titles in 2008 Paris-Bercy (d. Nalbandian) and 2014 Toronto (d. Federer)

• Before winning Metz, had not played in a final since winning 2014 ATP Masters 1000 Toronto (d. Federer)

• Missed first 11 weeks with an arm injury before season debut at ATP Masters 1000 Miami in March

OPEN ERA FRENCH TITLE LEADERS

Player	No.
Yannick Noah	23
Richard Gasquet	12
Gilles Simon	12
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga	12
Guy Forget	11