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Gael Monfils turned what looked like another Novak Djokovic walk-in-the-park into a tight, twisting, turning winding road but ultimately was unable to prevent Novak from taking the P

aris Masters in a thrilling finale 6-2, 5-7, 7-6(3). This was Djokovic's first Masters Series crown this year. Djokovic initially carried on from where he left off against Nadal and ran away with the first set, but Monfils engineered a remarkable fightback to stretch the Serb and ensure tonight's final was one to remember. The match went the distance lasting close to 3 hours and both players deserved plaudits for their per formances. Djokovic though eventually prevailed playing a flawless final set tie-breaker, producing like a champion, under pressure.

11 months ago, Novak Djokovic looked a touch lost. A new racquet in hand he seemed unsure of how best to use it. Since then he's spent the entire year without winning a single Masters series event and bowing out uneventfully in the slams. The indoor season though seems to have rejuvenated him. He ousted Federer in his backyard and demolished Rafael Nadal in the semis here and suddenly that new racquet is being brandished in much the way that Harry Potter might his wand. In any case the brand of tennis that the Serb put on display for the first set & a half proved way too much for Gael Monfils to handle as he sped away to a 6-2, 3-0 lead.

But the man they call ‘Sliderman' used every ounce of his considerable athleticism & flamboyance to spur the crowd to get behind him as he disrupted Djokovic's bubble and produced a superb fightback to restore parity 3-3 and take the second set 7-5. Djokovic remained far less confident than he was in the opening stages of the match throwing away a break's lead twice to allow Monfils into a tie-break. Novak though pulled it all together for the tie-break. He didn't make a mistake through the shootout and Monfils just couldn't find a way through, finishing it somewhat anti-climatically with a double fault.

Djokovic throughout this tournament was hitting with remarkable power, placement, consistency and a solid margin of error from the baseline. His service games were equally impressive. Djokovic's ability to take control of the rallies though remained the feature. While against Nadal, it was the backhand that did the damage, today the forehand - the depth and the angle - shone through. All this makes Djokovic the hottest property heading into the year end championships at London that begins next week.

For Monfils this was a week to remember - reaching his first Masters Series final at his home event certainly raises his stock. His superb effort against a rampaging Djokovic showed he has the attitude for a fight, something he will hopefully take heart from in the future.

File Photograph Copyright: Constantini (Italian Open)