It's an uphill task to dislodge world No 1 Djokovic

The new dad will enter London as the heavy favourite to win the yearend event considering his winning streak of 27 matches indoors. His last defeat under the roof happened two years ago at the hands of American Sam Querrey at the Paris Masters 1000.

What makes the Serb more intimidating than anyone is the fact that he is fresh from celebrating his 20th Masters 1000 crown in Paris less than 10 days ago. The world's hottest player made his Paris Masters final opponent Milos Raonic, whose missile-like serves make him a pain in the neck for many players, look like an amateur.

I'll go out on a limb and pick Djokovic as the best shot maker, serve returner and court-coverage player at the moment. It's hard to find anyone who has got the game to catch up with the reigning Wimbledon champion these days. No matter where you hit the ball on court, he reads it exceptionally and will be right there one step ahead to retrieve it. And if his opponents think they had hit a good shot that is a sure winner, the Serb is capable of hitting back even better. And don't fall for Djokovic showing signs of fatigue or injuries as it's just an act. He may look tired between points or ask for treatment during the changeover but once the point is played, he will be, all of a sudden, back to normal, running down all shots perfectly and incessantly.

That's why red-hot players like Andy Murray, Kei Nishikori and Raonic fell victims tamely in straight sets from the quarter-finals to the championship match in the Paris Masters.

Well, then who has the best shot when facing Djokovic across the net. The last man to beat the Serb is Roger Federer in the semi-finals of Masters 1000 in Shanghai last month. Stanislas Wawrinka and Nishikori are the other in the London field to have posted a victory over Djokovic in 2014 which took place in the Australian and US Opens. Unfortunately Wawrinka is not the same tennis player when he lifted the trophy in Melbourne and the Japanese managed to win only five games against Djokovic in Paris. The two are simply not consistent enough to outplay the Serb.

Federer, on the other hand, has a rich repertoire of shots and can mix up the pace to trouble Djokovic. Out of world No 1’s eight defeats this year, three were caused by the Swiss Master: Dubai, Monte Carlo and Shanghai. But Djokovic also won two out of their five meetings this season which came o big occasions like the finals of Indian Wells and Wimbledon.

No matter what the statistics suggest, in the end it will be Djokovic, who, I believe, has the strongest mentally. He of all players can bring his best when he needs it most, which makes him an outstanding player than the rest. The year-end No 1 throne, which Federer is also eyeing, will motivate him to stay high the next seven days. And when he is up at that level, it’s an uphill task for anyone.