World no 1 Novak Djokovic came from a set down to beat Grogor Dimitrov for a place in the last eight of the Paris Masters Thursday.
Top-seeded Djokovic, bidding for a fourth consecutive Paris Masters title, saw out the Bulgarian 4-6 6-2 6-3 as he continues his return to form after a late season slump.
The win also takes the 29-year-old Serb a step closer to retaining his world No 1 crown which has come under threat from Britain’s Andy Murray in recent weeks.
Murray, who destroyed home favourite Lucas Pouille to advance to the quarterfinals, can steal the top ranking by winning the tournament should Djokovic not get past the semi-finals, or by reaching the final if Djokovic crashes out in the next round.
It was by no means a straight forward victory for Djokovic in the tie, as Dimitrov took the first set, forcing the defending champion to call a medical time out in the second after twisting his knee.
However, his steely resolve was brought to bear on the clash, as he dug deep and dominated the rest of the match to set up a quarter final showdown with Marin Cilic on Friday.
Cilic advanced to the last eight with a 6-3 7-6 straight sets victory over eight-seeded Belgian David Goffin.
The win secures him a place in the ATP World Tour Finals which commences November 13 in London.
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