Djokovic leads way as old guard's grip holds firm

PARIS - Next Gen poster boy Alexander Zverev's season-ending Tour Finals triumph served up a glimpse into the future of men's tennis although 2018 remained a year dominated once more by the usual, yet aging, suspects as a revitalized Novak Djokovic returned to the peak of his powers.

The Serbian tumbled out of the top 10 for the first time in a decade and was ranked as lowly as 22nd in June, slumping to a string of uncharacteristic defeats - including an embarrassing loss to Italian journeyman Marco Cecchinato at the French Open - following elbow surgery to fix a lingering injury.

Over the next few months though Djokovic surged back to his all-conquering best, sweeping to Wimbledon and US Open crowns and completing a historic Masters sweep with an elusive victory in Cincinnati.