Djokovic looks ahead after bagging crown Novak Djokovic of Serbia holds the winner's trophy after defeating Andy Murray of Great Britain in Key Biscayne, Florida, Sunday. — AFP

Novak Djokovic may not be able to match last year's sensational 41-match winning streak but the world No. 1 believes he is in just as good form heading into the claycourt season.
The Serb successfully defended his Sony Ericsson Open title with a 6-1, 7-6 win over Britain's Andy Murray in Sunday's final at the Miami Masters Series event where he never dropped a set during the two-week tournament.
"I feel that being No. 1 and having (had) the best year of my career in 2011, I'm playing at the peak of my form and I'm playing the best tennis that I have played," Djokovic, 24, told reporters after his victory at Crandon Park.
"So I have to use that as much as I can, coming into every tournament that I play. The competition is getting stronger, I believe. Everybody is so professional nowadays.
"You have the top players playing in all the top events. That wasn't the case maybe five, 10 years ago. So that makes it even tougher for anybody to win a title. But I'm ready for it."
Djokovic's win at Miami last year came in the midst of an extraordinary run of victories that began with the Australian Open and ended in June with a loss to Roger Federer in the French Open semifinal.
"The season was incredible, especially the opening five, six months of the year. Every year is different. I'm coming in this year with a Grand Slam win and now a Miami win, couple of semifinals. I think I'm playing equally well as I did 12 months ago," said Djokovic. "But again, it's different ... I still want to fight for every title, like everybody else. I have this positive mindset, not really defending or calculating how many points I can lose and things like that. So every tournament for me is equally important."
Djokovic's latest win had the player looking back fondly on his Florida triumphs, but more importantly looking ahead — to the clay court season and beyond.
He said the successful title defense was a boost heading into the Monte Carlo Masters. "This is going to be very encouraging for me prior to the clay court season," said Djokovic.
If he can claim clay's biggest prize, the French Open, he would hold all for major titles at once.
First, however, he'll tackle the Monte Carlo Masters.
"I didn't play it last year," said Djokovic, who won Masters titles on clay at Madrid and Rome last year but fell in the semifinals at Roland Garros. "I look forward to it. I want to start well. I want to start strong.
"Clay demands the most physical effort out of all surfaces. You have to be physically very fit. Your endurance has to be on a very high level, because all the long rallies that you play on hard courts, it's double that on clay.
"I'm playing at the peak of my form. I have to use that as much as I can," he added. — Agencies