Djokovic hoping aching body can pull it through

London: Hot favourite Novak Djokovic is hoping physical pain doesn't keep him from a successful defence of his Barclays ATP World Tour Finals title on Sunday.

"We are going to have a tough week for sure. There is going to be no easy match and especially after this long performance out there I hope I can recover physically for the rest of the week," Djokovic told media following his three-set 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 win against Russia's Nikolay Davydenko late on Monday.

"The confidence is there, the game is there, the form is there. But physically, you can't fight nature sometimes. You can't do much about it," the Serb added.

Sharp opponent

Going into this year-ending tournament for the men, Djokovic looks like the one to beat after winning three of the last four tournaments that he has participated in — the latest of these being the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 in Paris last week.

However on Monday things did not particularly go his way as Djokovic struggled against an opponent who was sharp and focused at the same time. "It's been a long season for me and I am very exhausted at the moment. But you know when you have bad days you still manage to win or rather you find a way to win. And I think that's something great to have in your game," he added.

Djokovic is scheduled to meet rank outsider Robin Soderling, who toppled Rafael Nadal in Monday's opener at the O2.

"I wouldn't rate myself as a favourite because he [Soderling] is in great form. I finished very late [against Davydenko] and I hope the rest day will help me to recover. It's going to be a tough one and the small details, couple of points will decide the winner," the Serb predicted.