Novak Djokovic in Excellent Shape to Claim Historic Title in Cincinnati

Novak Djokovic is on the cusp of doing something no tennis player has ever done on the ATP Tour.

The world's No. 1 player got past Argentinian Juan Monaco in the second round of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Wednesday, winning in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2.

This is the only ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament the Djoker hasn't won, as noted by ATPWorldTour.com. Should he earn a title in Cincinnati, Djokovic will become the only player in history to win all nine, which would be another impressive feather in his cap in addition to all his accomplishments as a professional. 

The next competitor standing in the way of this historic accomplishment is "Belgian craftsman" David Goffin in Round 3, as noted by Tennis TV:

The last time these two met up, Goffin gave Djokovic a run for his money at Roland Garros in the opening round of the French Open. Though Djokovic won in straight sets, all three were highly contested.

However, it's worth noting that Goffin has only won eight of 28 matches this year and has yet to defeat any player ranked in the top 20.

Needless to say, it'll be a shocking result if Goffin defeats Djokovic.

Should Goffin fail to spark an incredible upset, the top two contenders in Djokovic's quarter are Richard Gasquet (No. 8 seed) and Milos Raonic (No. 12 seed). Raonic has never faced the Serbian champion, while Gasquet has fared poorly, to say the least, against him with a career record of 1-8. 

Barring an unexpected hiccup, Djokovic will sail into the semifinals, where it's likely either David Ferrer (No. 3 seed) or Juan Martin Del Potro (No. 7 seed) will be waiting. While both Del Potro and Ferrer are formidable opponents, they have a combined career record of 7-20 against Djokovic. 

Chances are, Djokovic will work his way into the men's final in Cincy. 

Since winning three titles in the first four months of this season, Djokovic has been stymied by Rafael Nadal, Tomas Berdych and Andy Murray late in big tournaments—all of whom are in the bottom half of the men's draw in Cincinnati. 

Winning the Western & Southern Open won't be easy, but Djokovic has a clear path to the final, and it's safe to say he's due to win after striking out the past few months. 

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