NOVAK DJOKOVIC underlined his position as world number one with a dominant display to beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final of the Shanghai Masters in Shanghai yesterday.

    The Serb was too good for his French opponent, winning 6-2 6-4 in 78 minutes at the Qi Zhong Stadium.

    It is the 28-year-old’s ninth title of a season in which he has also won three of the four Grand Slams.

    Djokovic, who has won his last 22 sets, is unbeaten in 17 matches, dating back to the start of the U.S. Open.

    He now has 25 Masters titles — one more than Swiss Roger Federer and two fewer than record-holder Rafael Nadal of Spain.

    Tsonga, who saw off Nadal in the semifinals, came into the match leading the tournament with 64 aces. But Djokovic returned so effectively. He broke the 30-year-old four times and prevented him hitting a single aces in the first set.

    Djokovic was broken once himself in the first, but by then he was 3-0 up. He gave his opponent few chances afterwards.

    Tsonga fought off five break points in the second set until 10-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic was finally able to convert on his sixth when the Frenchman double-faulted while serving at 4-4.

    Djokovic made no mistake on his own serve.

    The Serb now has 14,285 points in the 2015 Race to London, 6,415 more than second-placed Andy Murray, who he beat in the last four in Shanghai.

    Earlier yesterday, Raven Klaasen of South Africa and Marcelo Melo of Brazil won men’s doubles title, defeating Italy’s Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini.(SD-Agencies)