Jannik Sinner defeats Novak Djokovic in Shanghai Masters final as world No 1 continues to face threat of suspension after testing positive for banned substance clostebol

Jannik Sinner added his seventh title of a remarkable year with victory over Novak Djokovic in the final of the Shanghai Masters.

Sinner, who is already guaranteed to end the season as world number one, was just too strong for Djokovic, making it four wins from his last five matches against the Serbian with a 7-6 (4) 6-3 win.

That denied Djokovic a 100th career title, although this week was another reminder that the 37-year-old still remains a huge force at the top of the game.

There was little to choose from in the opening set, with Sinner recovering from 0-30 at 4-5 and then making the better start in the tiebreak.

A missed backhand volley from Djokovic proved costly, and the other side’s relentless pressure was evident in the fourth game of the second set, when Sinner challenged a forehand winner to claim the only break of the match.

Sinner’s victory means he has now won four of his last five matches against Djokovic

Djokovic missed out on a 100th career title, but the 37-year-old still showed encouraging signs

Sinner is still at risk of being banned from tennis after testing positive twice for toilet ball in March.

Sinner was provisionally suspended, but was cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent tribunal.

The World Anti Doping Agency has appealed the decision and called for Sinner to be suspended for one or two years.

Roger Federer and Carlos Alcaraz were among those who watched from the stands as the Italian, who did not face a break point all match, secured victory with an ace.

“It was obviously a very tough match,” Sinner said. “Playing against Novak is one of the toughest challenges we have and I am obviously very happy with the way I handled the situation.

‘He served great in the first set, I really couldn’t find a way to break him. I played a very good breaker in the first set, which gave me the confidence to start the second set well and was obviously very happy with the performance throughout the tournament. It is of course a very special one.’

Djokovic had been bidding to win a fifth title in Shanghai, and he said: ‘It was a pleasure to be here again in Shanghai.

“I’ve had a lot of success on Chinese soil in my career and I haven’t played in China for five years so I’ve missed it and I’m very happy to have come this year.

Roger Federer and Carlos Alcaraz, among others, were present at the final

Djokovic admitted that Sinner was ‘too strong’ and ‘too fast’ for him in the final

‘I think I played very good tennis. Of course congratulations Jannik, he was just too good today, too strong, too fast. Well done for an incredible year, you deserve this.”

Djokovic told Federer: ‘It’s nice to see Roger. I’m not used to seeing you in the stands, I wish you were on the field playing with us.

“It’s probably my first time playing for you guys, so I had extra pressure today, but it’s great. Thanks for being here, and so is Carlos.”