Stage is set for Djokovic as ATP Finals draw is released

Novak Djokovic of Serbia has an easier path to the ATP FInals title match, as Andy Murray and Roger Federer on on the other side of the draw. Michel Euler / AP Photo

Two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic has been handed a favourable draw at the ATP Finals, while Roger Federer and Andy Murray will meet in the round-robin phase.

The top-seeded Djokovic, who won his 20th Masters title in Paris on Sunday, was placed in the same group with Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka, US Open winner Marin Cilic and Tomas Berdych for the season-ending, eight-man tournament, which starts Sunday in London.

“Two successive titles in London in the last two years gave me reason to believe that I can do well,” said Djokovic after winning in Paris, where he did not drop a set during the week.

Djokovic won all five matches in both his 2013 and 2012 successes, and you have to go back three years to November 2011 for the last time he was beaten at the O2 Arena, when he lost in three sets to compatriot Janko Tipsarevic.

He will be confident of extending his winning run well beyond the 10 games at the Finals, which is where it stands at present.

Although he lost his most recent clash with Wawrinka at the Australian Open in January in five sets, he has a strong record against the Swiss player, having won 15 of their other 17 clashes.

He also has enjoyed his past meetings with his other two group meetings.

He has only lost two of 17 matches with Berdych, none of which were on the hard court surface they will be playing on in London, while he has never lost to Cilic, having won all 10 of their past meetings.

The in-form Federer, meanwhile, is in Group B along with Murray and newcomers Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic.

Djokovic, this year’s Wimbledon champion, is unbeaten on indoors courts the past two years and is vying with Federer for the year-end No 1 ranking.

The Serb extended his lead over the 17-time grand slam title champion to 1,310 points as he bids to finish the year on top for the third time.

Federer’s quarter-finals loss in Paris against Raonic has hampered his bid to overtake Djokovic in London.

Rafael Nadal is skipping the tournament to have appendix surgery, an event that allowed Raonic to qualify for the event.

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