Djokovic, Federer, Murray reach Paris quarters

PARIS (AP):

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic rallied from a set down to beat fellow Serb Viktor Troicki 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 yesterday and reach the Paris Masters quarter-finals.

Andy Murray of Britain, Roger Federer of Switzerland, the Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych, David Ferrer of Spain and France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also advanced.

Djokovic has slipped of late from the dominating form he showed in the first half of the season, and he made 44 unforced errors compared to 28 winners against Troicki.

"It's obvious that I'm still not playing in the form that I had in the last 10 months,'' said Djokovic, who returned to action last week in Basel after a six-week injury layoff. "It takes a little bit of time to get into the rhythm.''

Djokovic will next play Tsonga.

Murray routed American Andy Roddick 6-2, 6-2 and will next face 2005 champion Berdych, who beat another Serb, Janko Tipsarevic, 7-5, 6-4.

The second-seeded Murray improved his record to 17-0 since the US Open and has won 27 of his last 28 matches since mid-August.

Clinching victory

Murray hit 27 winners compared to only four for the American. He broke Roddick twice in each set, taking the first with a crosscourt forehand winner before clinching victory with an ace.

The fifth-seeded Berdych trailed 5-1 in the first set and 4-1 in the second, but fought back both times to clinch his spot in the eight-man ATP World Tour Finals. His victory meant Tsonga and Mardy Fish also secured spots in the season-ending tournament in London, with Tipsarevic missing out.

Tipsarevic made two double-faults in a row to set up match point for Berdych.

Federer downed Richard Gasquet of France 6-2, 6-4 and will next meet Juan Monaco of Argentina. The third-seeded Swiss broke serve twice in the first set and took a 4-3 lead in the second on a double-fault from Gasquet before clinching victory with a forehand winner.

Meanwhile, fourth-seeded Ferrer ousted Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine 6-3, 6-2, and the sixth-seeded Tsonga defeated Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-3, 6-4.

Ferrer will take on American John Isner, who beat Feliciano Lopez of Spain 6-4, 6-2.