Juan Martin Del Potro seeks to win his first Masters 1000 title on Sunday as he takes on Novak Djokovic in the final.  Del Potro twice has reached the final of a Masters 1000 event before, losing to Andy Murray in Montreal in 2009 and to Rafael Nadal this year in Indian Wells. Djokovic comes into this match looking to win his second Masters Series 1000 title this year, having defeated Nadal earlier this year in the Monte Carlo final.

Djokovic leads the overall record between these two 9-3. Their most recent matchup came in the semifinals of Wimbledon a few months ago, when Djokovic won in five sets. If tomorrow’s final has a fraction of the quality of that epic match, the fans in Shanghai should be in for a show. Del Potro does own a victory over the Serb this year, having defeated him in the semifinals of Indian Wells in an extremely tight three-set affair.

As a result of reaching the final, the Argentine qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals.  In their semifinal encounters, he denied Nadal a shot at another title in 2013 by defeating the Spaniard in convincing fashion, 6-2 6-4. Djokovic dispatched Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2 7-5, his ninth straight win in that matchup.   Each man brings plenty of momentum to Sunday, for Djokovic and Del Potro come into this final having both won titles last week in Beijing and Tokyo, respectively.

When Del Potro is on fire, as seen in his semifinal match against Nadal, few opponents can do anything about it. But, if someone can stop Del Potro on one of his better days, it most likely would be Djokovic. The six-time major champion has become famous for his seemingly inhuman elasticity, which allows him to slide and stretch on all surfaces. He can reach balls that almost no other player in the world would be able to retrieve.

Thus, Djokovic will aim to make the Argentine play that one extra shot that he usually does not have to play against other rivals. Del Potro should try not only to hit through Djokovic but to dissect the court with angles, a much easier way to frustrate the Serb.

Expect Djokovic to engage Del Potro in as many backhand-to-backhand exchanges as possible.  That matchup pits his strongest shot against Del Potro’s weakest shot. On the other hand, Djokovic must avoid hitting shots that constantly land in Del Potro’s strike zone. The Argentine feasted on a host of Nadal topspin forehands that sat up between his waist and chest in their semifinal clash.

As has been mentioned all week, the conditions in Shanghai are quick, and the ball has penetrated the court very rapidly. This certainly favors Del Potro and should make it increasingly difficult for Djokovic to defend against the Argentine’s power.

Both guys have shown tons of passion and fight all week, so this final should offer the perfect conclusion to an excellent week of tennis in Shanghai.

Prediction: Djokovic in three sets