SHANGHAI, China (AP) - Novak Djokovic is trying his best to complete Serbia's ascension to the top of the tennis world.

Jelena Jankovic, the U.S. Open runner-up, already is No. 1 on the women's side. Compatriot Ana Ivanovic, the French Open winner, held the spot earlier in the year before slipping to No. 5.

Nenad Zimonjic became the top doubles player when he and Canada's Daniel Nestor teamed to beat Bob and Mike Bryan for the Masters Cup doubles title Sunday and end the American twins' four-year run atop the year-end rankings.

And Djokovic?

His 6-1, 7-5 victory over Nikolay Davydenko in the Masters Cup singles final gave him 150 ranking points, pulling him within 10 of No. 2 Roger Federer.

"There's been so much going on for Serbian tennis lately that it's just incredible to describe how could we do it in such a small period of the time," Djokovic said after dedicating his title to his family, support team and fans back in Serbia.

It's particularly surprising for a country that emerged from a devastating civil war not long ago.

"Probably the fact that we didn't have the best possible conditions gave us more motivation to succeed," Djokovic said.

Now, tennis is a growth injury in a country with a population of less than 7.5 million. Courts are being hastily constructed and Djokovic confirmed Sunday that his family landed the tournament once known as the Dutch Open. It will be held in May.

"I think we deserved it," Djokovic said. "We were fighting for it. It's not easy to get the tournament these days. The schedule is really packed. There (are) a lot of big cities waiting upon an ATP Tour tournament or WTA tournament. So we are very fortunate.

"I think we used the momentum that Serbia has in this moment, that Serbia is one of the most successful countries in tennis."

He called it a great opportunity to promote tennis in Serbia and help improve the country's image, an effort he already is trying to lead.

"Being a professional tennis player and being successful in it makes you a good ambassador for your country," Djokovic said.

Performances like the one he put in Sunday certainly help.

Djokovic was sharp from the start. He won the first five games, allowing Davydenko only six points. The fans started off clearly favoring the Serb, then started cheering for Davydenko in hopes of prolonging the match.

But they were all behind Djokovic when he finished. He tossed just about everything in reach - two rackets, wristbands and his sweat-soaked shirt - into the crowd at Qi Zhong stadium.

Then he headed to the players box, where his coach, family and a former Miss Universe were standing and cheering. A joyous group hug ensued, and they bounced up and down together, reveling in the Serb's first title in six months.

But when Djokovic walked away, he realized he had cut his left hand somewhere in the joyous melee. It wouldn't have been good form to drip blood on his new trophy, so he had to ask the trainer to apply a bandage before the awards ceremony.

"You don't feel the pain in the moments of happiness," he said.

The victory provided Djokovic with perfect bookends to his year. He won the Australian Open in January for his first Grand Slam and ended with what he called one of his best titles.

"I would put it in the same league as a Grand Slam because the best eight players in the world are participating here," he said. "It's a huge achievement for me."

The $625,000 prize and a Mercedes SUV were nice, too. He got into the car, which was brought on court, and honked the horn.

And that cut? Not serious, and he has plenty of time to heal before starting 2009 - and think about how close he is to breaking the stranglehold that Rafael Nadal and Federer have had on the top two spots in the rankings since mid-2005.

Djokovic reckons he has time.

"Certainly, I believe that I have quality to reach the top spot in the upcoming year or, you know, whatever, next couple of years, 10 years," he said. "That is my lifetime goal that I've been always trying to achieve.

"But I learned a lesson. If I pay too much attention on rankings, it doesn't go the right way. So I just want to improve my game."

(This version CORRECTS SUBS 2nd graf to correct that Jankovic was U.S. Open runner-up)