spc open court david ferrer_00005506.jpg
A workout with David Ferrer
03:59 - Source: CNN

Story highlights

World No. 2 Novak Djokovic wins the Paris Masters title for the second time

Djokovic beats defending champion David Ferrer in Sunday's final

Both will now head to London for the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals

Italy clinches fourth title in women's Fed Cup, beating Russia 4-0 in final

CNN  — 

Novak Djokovic will head to London to defend his ATP World Tour Finals crown on a high after winning back the Paris Masters title Sunday.

The Serbian ended David Ferrer’s reign in Bercy, winning the final 7-5 7-5 in just under two hours to become only the 15th tennis player to hold 40 ATP Tour titles.

He kept alive his hopes of ending the year as world No. 1 for the third consecutive time by defeating the man who made it possible – Ferrer eliminated top-ranked Rafael Nadal in Saturday’s semis.

The Australian Open champion has now won six titles this year, having also reached the finals of the U.S. Open and Wimbledon.

“I am definitely playing the best tennis this year now,” said Djokovic, who also won the 2009 Paris title. “I’m playing on a very high level and have lots of confidence in myself, in my game.”

Read: Nadal defeat gives Djokovic No. 1 hope

Djokovic has won 17 matches in a row since losing to Nadal in New York, and has a 66-9 record this year.

On Tuesday he will start his London campaign against Roger Federer, who he beat on Saturday, while Ferrer faces a rematch with Nadal in the other four-man group.

“I played maybe better than yesterday, and I lost,” said world No. 3 Ferrer.

“I am happy with my game, because the last few tournaments I played well and I am happy with myself.”

The Bryan brothers will go to London as clear favorites in the doubles after thrashing their closest rivals Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares 6-3 6-3 in Sunday’s Paris final.

Mike and Bob have almost double the ranking points of the Austrian/Brazilian duo, who will make their debut in the season-ending event.

Read: Can Federer overcome back problem in London?

“We’re very happy with our performance against a team that has had a fantastic year and who is playing with a lot of confidence at the moment,” Bob Bryan said ahead of his 11th appearance.

Meanwhile, Italy clinched a fourth Fed Cup title Sunday, beating a weakened Russia team 4-0 in Sardinia.

World No. 7 Sara Errani clinched her country’s first women’s crown since 2010 by beating 183rd-ranked Alisa Kleybanova 6-1 6-1.

The second reverse singles was not played, but Karin Knapp and Flavia Pennetta beat Margarita Gasparyan and Irina Khromacheva in the dead doubles rubber.

Russia’s top 11 players were unavailable for the final, which clashed with the WTA Tour’s Tournament of Champions in Bulgaria.

Simona Halep capped her breakthrough season by claiming her sixth title and passing $1 million in prize money this year as she came from behind to beat former U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur 2-6 6-2 6-2 on Sunday.

It will move the 22-year-old up to 11th in the rankings, putting her within touching distance of becoming just the third Romanian player to crack the WTA’s top 10.

She is managed by one of the other two, Virginia Ruzici – the only Romanian woman to win a grand slam title.

“Hopefully I can play next year like I played this year and do well in Australia,” Halep said.

Former world No. 4 Stosur also lost to Halep in last month’s Kremlin Cup final, having won the Osaka title before that.