Djokovic's fourth successive World Tour Finals triumph would be a fitting end to 2015
The world No. 1 has won 10 titles this season and another victory at the O2 in London would confirm the campaign as the greatest of his career
Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have all made impeccable starts at the ATP World Tour Finals, winning their opening matches in straight sets.
But it would be a genuine surprise if any of them - a trio with a combined total of 34 Grand Slams, remember - triumph at the lucrative eight-man, season-ending event.
That is how dominant Novak Djokovic - winner of three majors and six Masters 1000 events in 2015 - has become.
The champion of this tournament for the last three years, Djokovic (4/11) is poised to become the first player to win it four times in succession.
He has not been beaten on an indoor court since 2012 and has dropped just one set - winning 31 - since beating Federer in September’s US Open final.
Djokovic has collected titles in Beijing, Shanghai and Paris since then and another success this week would take his haul for the year to 11, which would surpass his previous best of 10 achieved four years ago.
His nonchalant 6-1, 6-1 win over Kei Nishikori on Sunday only reaffirmed that the world No. 1 is playing the best tennis of his career.
Murray, meanwhile, has never progressed further than the semi-finals of this event - having done so in 2008, 2010 and 2012 - and he is unlikely to better that this week.
The Brit has won just one of his last 17 matches against Federer and Djokovic - his two likely last-four opponents - while next week’s Davis Cup final has naturally compromised his preparation for this event.
It should still be a progressive week for Murray (10/1), though.
Following his 6-4, 6-4 victory against David Ferrer on Monday, one more victory in the group stages would guarantee that the 28-year-old ends the year as world No. 2 for the first time.
Not only would that aptly reflect the success he has enjoyed this year, it would also ensure he is seeded in the opposite side of the draw to Djokovic at the Australian Open in January.
Murray’s next opponent is Nadal (10/1), who is playing his best tennis of the season having reached finals in Beijing and Basel.
But while his 6-3, 6-2 win against Stan Wawrinka on Monday hinted at a true return to form in 2016, it is worth noting that the Spaniard did not triumph at the 02 even when he was tennis' best player.
And then there is Federer (7/2), who opened with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Tomas Berdych.
Although he cannot defy time forever, the 34-year-old should meet Djokovic in the final for what would be the seventh time this year.
The Serbian leads that head-to-head 4-2 and it would be a fitting conclusion to the 2015 season if he asserts his superiority over the Swiss master - and the entire men's game - one more time.
