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From the brainteasers that are round-robin tiebreakers to the outgrowth of tennis in China, Sandra Harwitt puts a stamp on the 2008 Masters Cup and looks at what permutations are in store for next season.

The sprightly Novak Djokovic was not joking around at the year-end Masters Cup, closing out the season the way it began -- with a meaningful title and the rest of the field fearing the Serbian sensation.

His ballyhooed impersonations earned him instant fame a year ago. But after a mundane 2008 summer, a more subdued Novak Djokovic has tabled his pugnacious persona, and it's working out just nifty.

From the Golden Boy, Rafael Nadal, to Elena Dementieva, the Beijing stars have plenty of reasons to be exultant. But we can only surmise how that success will carry over to the U.S. Open.