Novak Djokovic Comes from a set down to beat Tallon Griekspoor, Books quarter-finals spot

Novak Djokovic escaped elimination on Thursday night to book his spot in the quarter-finals of the ongoing Paris Masters tournament.

The 36-year-old struggled at the beginning of the encounter in Paris but later showed class to secure victory, coming back from a set down to defeat Turkish Tallon Griekspoor 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 and reach his ninth straight quarter-final at the event.

Djokovic revealed he was struggling with a stomach issue while speaking after the game.

“I don’t want to take anything away from his performance. He didn’t drop the level,” the Serbian said. “Maybe in the third set a few games he did a bit, but he was playing at a very high level and credit to him for that performance. If he would be the winner tonight, it would be absolutely deserved.

“I started off well but I ran out of steam. I’ve been struggling the last couple of days with my stomach and I just didn’t feel myself at all. I was just trying to hold my serve and get to a tie-break, which happened in the second. I got lucky on a couple of shots there. It could have easily gone his way, but overall I played a good tie-break and I started to feel better in the third. I’m really, really glad to overcome this challenge.”

Victory for the Serbian, extended his winning streak to 15 matches and tightening his grip on the year-end World No. 1 ATP title. He now leads Carlos Alcaraz by 670 points.

Furthermore, Djokovic advanced to his 11th quarterfinal at the ATP Masters 1000, keeping him on track for his record-breaking seventh Paris singles championship. With the exception of a third-round exit in Monte-Carlo, the Serbian has advanced to the quarterfinals in ten of the eleven events this season.